It almost sounds like a legend: scientists in India found fossil evidence of a gigantic ancient snake, possibly up to 50 feet long, easily the length of a city bus, and maybe even rivaling the biggest snakes ever.The excitement over Vasuki indicus isn’t just about its monster size (though, let’s be honest, that’s pretty awe-inspiring). The find gives us a clearer look at how ancient life looked, and what nature’s extremes really are.
Vasuki indicus: All about the discovery
Per Scientific Reports, a team of scientists uncovered the fossilized bones of a snake now known as Vasuki indicus. This beast lived about 47 million years ago in what’s now Gujarat, India. Researchers think it stretched somewhere between 36 and nearly 50 feet, which is easily up there with the biggest known snakes, including the legendary Titanoboa.The story started with Debajit Datta and Sunil Bajpai, who analyzed a set of 27 vertebrae dug from the Panandhro Lignite Mine in Kutch. Some of the bones are still attached, which helped experts get accurate size estimates. The new species is named after Vasuki, a powerful serpent in Hindu mythology, and of course, a nod to the country where it was found.
So, how huge was it?
As per the materials, each vertebra of Vasuki indicus was chunky: some over 4 inches wide. Scientists estimate the entire snake could have been as long as 49.9 feet (just about 15 meters). That puts Vasuki indicus right next to Titanoboa, the all-time heavyweight champ. They can’t be 100% sure without a full skeleton, but it’s pretty close. With a body like that, this snake wouldn’t have been quick. It probably relied on ambush, waiting for prey to wander too close, not unlike today’s anacondas.Now, for context, the biggest snakes alive now (like reticulated pythons) rarely make it past 25-30 feet. Titanoboa was about 40 feet, at least according to current fossil finds. And now, Vasuki indicus could hit that size, or maybe even a little moreSo, yeah. Vasuki indicus is almost double today’s biggest snakes, weighing close to a ton. That’s not just big; it’s prehistoric monster big.
Vasuki indicus: All we know about the ‘family’
Per the report, Vasuki indicus belonged to the madtsoiidae family, a bunch of ancient snakes that survived nearly 100 million years and spread out across Africa, Europe, and India. Scientists believe big madtsoiids like this one may have first popped up in India before slithering their way across the world during the Eocene period.
