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Fossil of ‘largest snake to have ever existed’ found in western India, named Vasuki Indicus

Edmond Dantès

Edmond Dantès

It belongs in a museum!
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Aug 24, 2022
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Scientists estimate Vasuki indicus was up to 15m long, weighed a tonne and would have constricted its prey.
Fossil vertebrae unearthed in a mine in western India are the remains of one of the largest snakes that ever lived, a monster estimated at up to 15 metres in length – longer than a T rex.

Scientists have recovered 27 vertebrae from the snake, including a few still in the same position as they would have been when the reptile was alive. They said the snake, which they named Vasuki indicus, would have looked like a large python and would not have been venomous.

The lignite mine where the fossil was found is located in Panandhro, in the western state of Gujarat.

"Considering its large size, Vasuki was a slow-moving ambush predator that would subdue its prey through constriction like anacondas and pythons. This snake lived in a marshy swamp near the coast at a time when global temperatures were higher than today," said Debajit Datta, a postdoctoral researcher in palaeontology at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee and the lead author of the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports on Thursday.

Because of the incomplete nature of the Vasuki remains, the researchers gave an estimated length range of 11-15 metres and 1 tonne in weight.

Vasuki, named after the snake king associated with the Hindu deity Shiva, rivals in size another huge prehistoric snake called Titanoboa, whose fossils were discovered in a coalmine in northern Colombia in 2009. Titanoboa, estimated at 13 metres long and more than 1 tonne, lived between 58m and 60m years ago. The largest living snake today is Asia's reticulated python at 10 metres.

"The estimated body length of Vasuki is comparable to that of Titanoboa, although the vertebrae of Titanoboa are slightly larger than those of Vasuki. However, at this point, we cannot say if Vasuki was more massive or slender compared to Titanoboa," said Sunil Bajpai, a palaeontologist, professor at Roorkee and the study's co-author.
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(Geological map of Kutch Basin showing fossil locality (a); stratigraphic column at Panandhro Lignite Mine showing the position of madtsoiid snake-yielding horizon with age diagnostic dinoflagellate cyst assemblage and δ13C curve marking hyperthermal event ETM2 (modified after Agrawal et al.23) (b); panoramic view of the fossil site (c). Map and stratigraphic column were drawn by D.D. using CorelDRAW 2019 (Version number: 21.0.0.593, URL link: http://www.corel.com/en/). ETM2 age estimate after Westerhold et al.24.)
These huge snakes lived during the Cenozoic era, which began after the dinosaur age ended 66m years ago.

The biggest Vasuki vertebra was about 11cm (4in) wide. Vasuki appears to have had a broad, cylindrical body perhaps around 44cm wide. The skull was not found.

"Vasuki was a majestic animal," Datta said. "It may well have been a gentle giant, resting its head on a high porch formed by coiling its massive body for most parts of the day or moving sluggishly through the swamp like an endless train."

The researchers are unsure what prey Vasuki ate, but considering its size it could have included crocodilians. Other fossils found in the area included crocodilians and turtles, as well as fish and two primitive whales, Kutchicetus and Andrewsiphius.

Vasuki was a member of the madtsoiidae snake family that appeared roughly 90m years ago but went extinct about 12,000 years ago. These snakes spread from India through southern Eurasia and into north Africa after the Indian subcontinent collided with Eurasia about 50m years ago, Bajpai said.

This was a dominant snake family during the dinosaur age's late stages and into the early Cenozoic before its diversity dropped, he added.

"Snakes are amazing creatures that often leave us stunned because of their size, agility and deadliness," Datta said. "People are scared of them as some snakes are venomous and have a fatal bite. But snakes perhaps attack people out of fear rather than with an intent to attack. I believe snakes, like most animals, are peaceful creatures, and an important component of our ecosystem."
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Fossil of ‘largest snake to have ever existed’ found in western India | Snakes | The Guardian

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Study:

www.nature.com

Largest known madtsoiid snake from warm Eocene period of India suggests intercontinental Gondwana dispersal - Scientific Reports

Here we report the discovery of fossils representing partial vertebral column of a giant madtsoiid snake from an early Middle Eocene (Lutetian, ~ 47 Ma) lignite-bearing succession in Kutch, western India. The estimated body length of ~ 11–15 m makes this new taxon (Vasuki indicus gen et sp...
www.nature.com www.nature.com

Abstract:

Here we report the discovery of fossils representing partial vertebral column of a giant madtsoiid snake from an early Middle Eocene (Lutetian, ~ 47 Ma) lignite-bearing succession in Kutch, western India. The estimated body length of ~ 11–15 m makes this new taxon (Vasuki indicus gen et sp. nov.) the largest known madtsoiid snake, which thrived during a warm geological interval with average temperatures estimated at ~ 28 °C. Phylogenetically, Vasuki forms a distinct clade with the Indian Late Cretaceous taxon Madtsoia pisdurensis and the North African Late Eocene Gigantophis garstini. Biogeographic considerations, seen in conjunction with its inter-relationship with other Indian and North African madtsoiids, suggest that Vasuki represents a relic lineage that originated in India. Subsequent India-Asia collision at ~ 50 Ma led to intercontinental dispersal of this lineage from the subcontinent into North Africa through southern Eurasia.
 
Mekanos

Mekanos

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Oct 17, 2018
44,245
I had no idea ancient snakes could get that big, holy shit. Even the current biggest ones don't weigh half a ton, nevermind an entire ton.
 
AuthenticM

AuthenticM

Son Altesse Sérénissime
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
30,198
for comparison, anacondas range from 6 to 9 meters in length. This new big one is estimated to have been 15 meters in length.

It would have been absolutely massive.
 
formasymphonic

formasymphonic

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,648
No artist impression of the size?

★☆☆☆☆

Edit: I appreciate y'all's artistic contributions lol. Keep em coming
 
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Mukrab

Mukrab

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Apr 19, 2020
7,554
But we already gave the coolest name to the now second biggest of all time. Burn this and pretend it never existed.
 
Sesha

Sesha

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Oct 25, 2017
9,837
Article says one of, and the size estimates puts it in indefinite competition with Titanoboa. Still big, but too early to make a conclusion, especially when parts of the anatomy are smaller.

Anyway, amazing find. I love finds like this. Shows there's still potentially bigger prehistoric megafauna left to discover.

The article's claim about diet based on size is an appealing idea, but unconvincing. Early on it was thought that Titanoboa was a superpredator too. Turned out it mostly ate fish.

Mekanos said:
I had no idea ancient snakes could get that big, holy shit. Even the current biggest ones don't weigh half a ton, nevermind an entire ton.
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Shit was big, yo.
 
Burt

Burt

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Oct 28, 2017
8,176
"snake-yielding horizon" huh

that's pretty good

i dont know what for yet but that's pretty good
 
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