Scientists have described a new species of ancient snake — Vasuki indicus, the remains of which were found in India. As reported in Scientific Reports, the predator, which lived about 47 million years ago, could reach lengths of up to 15 meters, making it one of the largest in history.
Scientists have described a new prehistoric species of snake found in modern-day India. It was likely one of the largest snakes to have ever existed on Earth. This is reported by the scientific journal Scientific Reports.
According to researchers, the fossilized vertebrae discovered in the lignite mine of Panandhro in the state of Gujarat belong to a fully adult specimen that lived approximately 47 million years ago, during the middle Eocene.
Debajit Datta and Sunil Bajpai, who studied the find, estimate the length of the animal to be between 11 and 15 meters (for comparison, a typical intercity bus is about 12 meters long).
The new species has been named Vasuki indicus in honor of the mythical serpent associated with the god Shiva.
In size, Vasuki indicus is comparable to the legendary Titanoboa, and its behavior likely resembled that of modern anacondas — slow movement and ambush hunting, writes bb.lv. The discovery expands our understanding of giant snakes of the past and highlights the important role of the Indian subcontinent in their evolution and distribution.
