Eryops meaning "drawn-out face" because most of its skull was in front of its eyes (Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 ερυειν, eryein = drawn-out + ωψ, ops = face) is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of extinct, semi-aquatic amphibian found primarily in the Lower Permian

Permian

The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...

-aged Admiral Formation (about 295 million years ago) of Archer County, Texas

Archer County, Texas

Archer County is a county located in the US state of Texas, and was formed in 1858 from Fannin County. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2005, the population estimate is 9,095, up from 8,854 in 2000. Its county seat is Archer City. Archer is named for...

, but fossil

Fossil

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...

s are also found in New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

 and parts of the eastern United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Eryops also occurs in older Pennsylvanian strata of the Conemaugh Group in West Virginia Eryops averaged a little over 1.5-2.0 meters (5-6 ft) long, making it one of the largest land animals of its time.