A 47-million-year-old snake called Vasuki indicus, discovered in Gujarat, India, could have reached 50 feet in length, rivaling the largest known snake, Titanoboa. Its fossils suggest a slow-moving ambush predator that lived in a warm tropical landscape.
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01Summary
- 01Vasuki indicus was discovered in the Panandhro Lignite Mine in Kutch, Gujarat, and dates to the Middle Eocene, about 47 million years ago.
- 02Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee analysed 27 fossilised vertebrae to estimate its length at between 10.9 and 15.2 metres (36 to 50 feet).
- 03Individual vertebrae measured up to 62.7 mm long and 111.4 mm wide, indicating a thick, cylindrical body.
- 04The snake belonged to the extinct family Madtsoiidae, which survived for roughly 100 million years across multiple continents.
- 05Its closest relatives include Madtsoia pisdurensis from India and Gigantophis garstini from North Africa.
02Why it matters
This discovery sheds light on the giant snakes that lived during warmer prehistoric climates, helping scientists understand how temperature and habitat influenced reptile size. It also reveals a previously unknown evolutionary lineage that spread from India across continents.
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