Gujarat’s Vasuki Indicus or Colombia’s Titanoboa, which is the largest snake on Earth? It weighs 1.25 tonnes, length is…, name is…

Since the formation of Earth, countless creatures have been born and have gone extinct. Snakes are incredible creatures, and there have been some studies about them in which it was proposed that there were once giant snakes weighing over 1,000 pounds on Earth. Two of the prehistoric snakes that usually come up in these debates are Vasuki indicus and Titanoboa. But have you ever wondered which is the largest snake to have ever lived on Earth? Well, it is…

During the Paleocene epoch, around 58-60 million years ago, Titanoboa cerrejonensis, which lived in the swampy ecosystems of Colombia, is considered the largest prehistoric snake in history. According to the Times of India report, initially believed to be crocodile vertebrae, the fossilized vertebrae of a colossal snake, ultimately known as Titanoboa, were discovered in 2009 at the Cerrejón coal mines.

Jonathan Bloch and Carlos Jaramillo later discovered the snake was Titanoboa measuring 15 metres (50 feet) long and weighing approximately 1.25 tonnes. Titanoboa, as wide as an oil drum, crushed its prey with a powerful bite that had a muscle force of approximately 400 psi. The discovery generated media attention and has led to a life-size model of Titanoboa now located in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

In 2005, paleontologists found 27 large vertebrae at the Panadhro Lignite Mine in Gujarat, India, which they thought were crocodile bones. After nearly nine years of detailed research, a group led by Sunil Bajpai determined that the fossils belonged to an undescribed giant snake species and named it Vasuki indicus after the mythological giant serpent in Hindu mythology. Dating to roughly 47 million years ago (Middle Eocene), Vasuki reached an estimated length of up to 15 m (49 feet) and weighed close to 1 tonne, reported TOI. Since the snake’s gigantic size and Indian affiliation made “Vasuki” (the celestial serpent connected to Lord Shiva) culturally significant, it was also an appropriate scientific homage.

Titanoboa is estimated to have been between 12.8 and 15.2 meters (42 to 50 feet) long and weighed around 1.1 to 1.25 tonnes (2,425 to 2,755 pounds), making Titanoboa the heaviest snake that has ever been discovered. Its vertebrae are thicker than those of any modern snake, and Titanoboa’s gigantic body probably needed the buoyancy of water—indicating that it probably lived in, or near, an aquatic environment. Conversely, Vasuki indicus is thought to be between 11 and 15.2 meters (36 to 49 feet) long and about 1 tonne (2,200 pounds). Although it is a little lighter than Titanoboa, Vasuki may have been equal to, or even longer than, Titanoboa, which makes it close competitor for longest snake in the history of Earth.

 

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