Researchers in India have recently discovered giant ancient snakes that could have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton. These ancient snake fossils may belong to the largest snake species to have ever lived on Earth, potentially reaching lengths of up to 15 meters, surpassing the current record holder, the Titanoboa python.
The oversized snake, named Vasuki Indicus after the king of snakes in Hinduism, was found at the Panandhro Lignite mine in Gujarat and dates back to about 47 million years ago during the Pleistocene era. The research team estimated the snake’s total body length using two different methods based on modern snakes in the python family and found that V. indicus could be between 11 and 15 meters long.
Vasuki Indicus belonged to an extinct family of pythons and is believed to be an ambush predator, similar to the modern anaconda. The researchers speculate that this snake likely had a large, wide, cylindrical body and mainly lived on land. It is believed to have lived in a warm climate with an average temperature of about 28 degrees Celsius.
The discovery sheds light on the diversity and size of ancient snake species and offers valuable insights into the prehistoric world. The research team hopes to further analyze carbon and oxygen in the fossils to learn more about the diet of V. indicus pythons.
