Fossil of largest snake 'Vasuki' discovered in Western India mine
- In Reports
- 03:45 PM, Apr 19, 2024
- Myind Staff
Researchers have identified a fossil discovered in Gujarat in 2005 as one of the largest snakes ever known to have existed on Earth. Named "Vasuki indicus" by researchers, the snake lived approximately 47 million years ago in the marshy swamps of Kutch. A recent study published in Science Reports suggests that the snake measured between 36 to nearly 50 feet in length.
The Vasuki indicus, believed to have surpassed the extinct Titanoboa in size, measured 42 feet, making it possibly the largest snake known to have existed. Researchers estimate it may have weighed up to 1 tonne or 1,000 kilograms. Today, Asia’s reticulated python holds the title of the largest living snake at 33 feet.
Debajit Datta, a postdoctoral researcher in paleontology at IIT-Roorkee and the lead author of the study, described Vasuki as a slow-moving ambush predator, similar to anacondas and pythons, which would subdue its prey through constriction. The snake inhabited a marshy swamp near the coast during a period of higher global temperatures than today.
The researchers named the snake Vasuki indicus after the mythical snake king Vasuki in Hindu mythology, often depicted wrapped around Shiva’s neck.
Datta described the naming of Vasuki indicus as symbolic, highlighting its association with the mythical snake king Vasuki. He explained that the name reflects the exceptional size of the snake, comparing it to royalty.
Researchers noted that while the vertebral dimensions of the Indian species are slightly smaller than those of Titanoboa, the largest body-length estimates of Vasuki exceed those of the extinct snake.
The fossil of Vasuki indicus was unearthed by Sunil Bajpai, a paleontology professor at IIT-Roorkee, in 2005 at a coal mine in Kutch.
Initially, Bajpai believed the remains belonged to a known prehistoric crocodile species, as reported by Scientific American. The fossil remained in his laboratory until 2022 when Debajit Datta, who had recently joined the lab, began examining it. Together, they discovered that the fragments actually belonged to a different species entirely.
Bajpai explained the timeline, stating that the fossil had been initially overlooked due to his focus on other projects. However, in 2022, upon re-examining the fossil, they realised it was that of a snake, ultimately identified as Vasuki indicus. He noted that the size initially led him to believe it was a crocodile fossil but later realised it was a significant find, potentially one of the largest snakes akin to Titanoboa.
Image source: AP News
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