SCIENTISTS have discovered the remains of the world’s largest snake that hid in swamps 47 million years ago.
Fossilized remains of the ancient snake species dubbed Vasuki Indicus show that the beast was terrifyingly larger than a T-Rex at an impressive 15 meters.
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The super-smart team of Debajit Datta and Sunil Bajpai found the giant snake’s vertebrae in an old coal mine in Gujrat, India.
In the end, 27 relatively well-preserved vertebrae were found that were still connected.
Each was about two inches long and four inches wide.
Which means the megabeast’s length could have reached 15 meters.
Experts say the snake probably belonged to the Madtsoiidae species that lived in the Southern Hemisphere millions of years ago.
The interesting name of Vasuki Indicus was given to the snake by the two founders who were inspired by a popular Indian legend.
In Hindu folklore, Vasuki is a serpent king who possesses immense powers and strength.
It is most commonly seen hanging around the neck of Shiva, one of the main gods in Indian folklore.
Debajit Datta said: “[The name] It’s very symbolic. Vasuki is our king.
“And this one, like him, is an exceptionally large snake.”
Scientists say that due to its gigantic size, it was probably a spine-chilling predator that slithered slowly along the land attacking its enemies.
it would have hunted in a manner similar to a feared anaconda.
Jesus Rivas, a new Mexico The Highlands University biology professor said the snake could have evolved to live in swamps due to its size.
He said: “To breathe, the snake would need to lift its rib cage, requiring a very large muscular effort to combat gravity.
“But with [its body] in the water, breathing was probably easier. And that’s why many large snakes today, like anacondas, are aquatic.”
Vasuki Indicus has even been compared to the extinct Titanoboa – the largest confirmed snake known to man.
Despite not having existed for the last 60 million years, scientists know that it had a total length of around 12 meters and weighed an impressive 1,135 kg.
Titanoboa’s remains were also found in a coal mine deep in a Colombian rainforest similar to Vasuki Indicus.
Although the largest snake still living today is a 400-pound beast, 26 feet long with a human-sized head.
This Northern Green Anaconda was found by TV wildlife presenter Professor Freek Vonk in remote Brazil.
The colossal snake is much larger than the largest previously known species – the reticulated python, which averages 20 feet 5 inches long.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
