Giant snake monster weighing one ton and as long as a bus once existed?

From the fossil of the newly discovered creature, experts believe that this could be the largest snake species ever to exist on earth, weighing about one ton and measuring about 15m in length.

The largest snake on the planet that ever existed, weighing more than 1 ton?

Recently, a fossilized vertebrae of one of the largest snakes ever to exist on earth was excavated by a team of experts at a mine in western India.

The "monster" is estimated to be up to 15m long, equivalent to the size of a school bus. With this length, the animal is even longer than the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The team of experts has now recovered 27 vertebrae from the snake, some of which are still in the same position as when the reptile was alive. They have named it Vasuki indicus, which resembles a large python and is non-venomous.

Reconstructed image of Vasuki snake in giant size.

It is known that its name is named after the king of snakes in Hinduism, often wrapped around the neck of one of the important gods, Lord Shiva. The coal mine where the fossil was found is located in Panandhro, Gujarat state.

With its massive size and a weight of about a ton, the Vasuki is a slow-moving ambush predator. It subdues its prey by constricting like an anaconda.

"This snake lived in a swamp near the coast. Based on the fossil, we believe that Vasuki was also a semi-aquatic species, found in the same area as rays, catfish, crocodiles and primitive whales," said Debajit Datta, a paleontologist at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee.

Fossilized vertebrae of giant snake have just been found.

Due to the incomplete nature of the fossil, measurements of Vasuki's weight and length remain estimates. The creature's size would rival that of a giant prehistoric snake called Titanoboa, whose fossil was discovered in a coal mine in northern Colombia in 2009.

Titanoboa, estimated to be 13 metres long and weighing more than a tonne, lived between 58 million and 60 million years ago. By comparison, the largest snake alive today is the Asian reticulated python, which is about 10 metres long.

"The body length of Vasuki is similar to Titanoboa. However, at this point, we cannot say whether Vasuki was larger or smaller than Titanoboa. These giant snakes lived during the Cenozoic era, which began after the age of dinosaurs ended 66 million years ago," added expert Sunil Bajpai, a paleontologist and professor at Roorkee.

Vasuki was a “gentle giant,” according to experts. It moved slowly through the swamp like an endless train. Given its size, its prey was likely crocodiles. Other fossils found in the area include turtles and crocodiles, as well as two species of primitive whales.

Vasuki is a member of the Madtsoiidae family of snakes that appeared about 90 million years ago but became extinct about 12,000 years ago. According to Bajpai, these snakes migrated from India to southern Eurasia, to North Africa after the Indian subcontinent collided with the Eurasian continent about 50 million years ago.

"The snake family was dominant during the late dinosaur era and early Cenozoic era before their diversity declined. Snakes are amazing creatures but are feared by humans because of their agility and aggression. I believe that, like most animals in the world , they are an important part of the ecosystem on earth," said expert Datta.

Why were prehistoric animals so huge?

There are many reasons why ancient creatures evolved to giant sizes: oxygen levels in the air, abundant food sources, and the evolutionary trend of increasing size over time.

Experts believe that the Vasuki snake grew to such a large size because it lived in a time when the Earth was warming, which was suitable for cold-blooded animals. It is possible that the lack of other fierce predators allowed the snake to grow to its maximum size.

(According to Dan Tri, April 24)

Source