World’s Largest Snake Fossil: Which Was the Biggest Snake to Ever Roam the Earth? Check the Facts!

Have you ever thought about the Earth Age? This is 4.543 billion years. This life-giving planet has seen people of many ages come and go, witnessing the rise and fall of species, the transfer of continents, and the evolution of billions of years of life.

In this development process, this planet was once the home of the world’s largest snake. Titanoboa. The world’s largest snake lived in the so-called Colombia 600,000 to 580,000 years ago. Its fossil was discovered in the early 2000s.

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But in 2005, a million years ago fossils were found in Kutch area in Gujarat, India. The fossil was analyzed by experts, whose analysis showed that it was a fossil of Vasuki Indicus, which proved to be one of the largest snakes ever found on Earth.

But, among them, who is the largest snake living on Earth and considered apex predator? Let’s find out.

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The biggest snake in history: Titanoboa, Apex Predator! How was it discovered?

Source: Great Britain

Titanoboa is considered the largest snake ever. It is estimated to be 45-50 feet long, 3 feet wide and weighs one ton. This means it’s longer than a standard school bus, which is usually about 40 feet.

If you line up six adults of average size (each is about 5.5 to 6 feet tall), it’s still shorter than the Titanoboa. Also, it is as thick as an oil drum. It weighs about 1.25 tons (2,500 lbs or 1,135 kg), and it is as heavy as the mini Cooper.

Although it does not contain any venom, its shattering power is huge. It can apply 400 psi (pounds per square inch) of force, similar to the bite of a crocodile.

It was discovered in 2009 by a group of paleontologists and geologists who set out to explore the Cerrejón coal mine in La Guajira, Colombia, one of the largest open pit coal mines in the world.

What is their mission? To find fossils of ancient plants and reptiles, these fossils flourished during the Paleo-Epoch era, the period when dinosaurs became extinct, about 60 million years ago.

Source: Florida Museum of Natural History

When the team carefully examined the residues of fossil plants and early reptiles, they stumbled upon something unusual – the piles of vertebrae and ribs buried inside coal sediments. At first, they thought the bone might belong to prehistoric crocodiles.

However, after careful examination, the fossil is similar to the backbone of a snake, which is much larger than any recorded snake. Scientists quickly realized that they had discovered something groundbreaking!

Paleontologist Jonathan Bloch is a fossil expert at the University of Florida and a paleobotanist Carlos Jaramillo of the Smithsonian Tropical Institute, leading the analysis of the fossils.

• The vertebrae is almost twice the size of today’s largest snakes, such as Anacondas and Pythons.
• After careful study, they reconstructed the size of the snake, which was estimated to be 42 to 50 feet long (12.8 to 15 meters) and weighed 2500 pounds (1.1 tons).
• The team named Titanoboa Cerrejonensis “Titanic Boa of Cerrejón”.

Source: Fossil Wiki

After the discovery, scientists published their discovery in the journal Nature in 2009. The news spreads like wildfire and the global media covers the story.

National Geographic, BBC and Discovery channels all highlighted the discovery, calling Titanoboa “the largest snake ever.”

Later, a full-size model was created and displayed at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, allowing the public to witness the enormous scale of this prehistoric giant.

Discovering Titanoboa’s fossils is not only a lucky discovery—it is a game changer in paleontology.

It reveals a lost world where giant snakes rule the rainforest and proves that prehistoric creatures may be bigger and more terrifying than we think!

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Meet Vasuki indicus: the largest snake fossil ever discovered – Titanoboa!

Source: Pune. information

You may have heard of the Vedas and the mythical word “Vasuki”. It was a snake king, wrapped around Lord Shiva’s neck. Although many people once thought this was a mythical creature.

But everything changed when fossils were found in the Panadhro lignite mine in Kutch district of Gujarat, India in 2005. The researchers found 27 unknown snake species well preserved vertebrae.

Sunil Bajpayee, director of the Department of Earth Sciences at IIT Roorkee, believes that he believes it is a fossil of the crocodile because it is very large in size. But after thorough research, it turns out to be the largest, perhaps the largest, similar to Titanoboa.

The researchers spent nine years studying the unknown fossil and then confirmed that it belonged to a new giant snake species, which they named Vasuki Indienus, marking a breakthrough discovery in paleontology.

The groundbreaking discoveries were published in the April 18, 2024 journal Science Report. The study details the estimated length of the snake up to 15 meters (49 feet) and makes an important contribution to understanding India’s prehistoric biodiversity.

When naming the snake of this unknown species, the research team proposed “Vasuki” because the huge size, function and similarities of this fossil are related to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SS6SKMWVX4

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And, if you don’t know about Vasuki, he is the sacred king of snakes. According to Indian scriptures, Vasuki is a huge, powerful snake surrounding Lord Shiva’s neck.

It also played a key role in Samudra Manthan (Agitating the Ocean), where it was used as an amrit to stir the Ocean. Given the size and significance of the snake, the name Vasuki is considered appropriate.

After publication, major global news media including Reuters, CNN and The Guardian reported the finding, highlighting the enormous scale of snakes and its impact on paleontological research.

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The largest snake fossil in the world: Vasuki Indicus and Titanonboa

The discovery of Vasuki indicus and titanoboa has revealed the two largest snakes ever. Here is a comparison of these prehistoric giants:

Vasuki indisus

Source: Brighter Side

• Discovery location: Panandhro lignite mine in Kutch District, Gujarat, India.
• Age: The early Eocene era about 47 million years ago.
• Size: Estimated length is between 11 and 15.2 meters (36-49 feet).
• Weight: estimated to be about 1 ton.
• Family: belongs to the extinct land snake Madtsoiidae family.
• Habitat: A swamp that may be inhabited near the coast.
• Predation style: Slow-moving ambush predators similar to modern anacondas.

Titanoboa

Source: reddit

• Discovery location: Cerrejón coal mine in La Guajira department in northeastern Colombia.
• Age: Life was about 5.8-600 million years ago in the Paleocene era.
• Size: The estimated length is between 12.8 and 14.3 meters (42-47 feet), and some estimates are estimated to be as high as 15.2 meters.
• Weight: Estimated weight is 730 to 1,135 kg (1,610-2,500 lbs).
• Family: belongs to the Boidae family, closely related to modern Boas and Anacondas.
• Habitat: Prosperous in rainforests, probably half a water sip.
• Predation style: Apex predator, mainly feeds on fish.

Compare

• Size: Both snakes are one of the largest known snakes, and in some estimates, the length of Vasuki Inspos may reach a length comparable to or slightly more than the titanium trocar.
• Weight: Titanoboa is generally considered heavier due to its larger vertebrae and robust construction.
• Habitat and Diet: Vasuki Indicus may prey on terrestrial animals like crocodiles, while Titanoboa is a half-diet predator focused on fish.
• Family and Evolution: Vasuki Incorus belongs to the extinct Madtsoiidae family, while Titanoboa is part of the Boidae family, which includes the modern Boas and Anacondas.

Titanoboa vs Vasuki Indicus: Who is bigger?

Source: Chegg India

According to recent fossil discoveries, Vasuki Indicus is currently considered to be larger than Titanoboa.

Although Titanoboa found in Colombia was previously the largest known snake with an estimated length of 12.8–14.3 meters (42-47 feet), the Vasuki Indionus unearthed in India is estimated to have reached a length of 15 meters (50 feet), more than about 2 meters (6.5 feet), up to 15 meters (50 feet).

Source: dinoanimals.com

Excitingly, while the Vasuki Indicus may be longer, Titanoboa exhibits larger, stronger vertebrae, which suggests that it may be heavier and bulkier overall.

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Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Optical Illusion