
What's bigger than an anaconda? This 58-million-year-old fossil of prehistoric snake in Colombia may have the answer
In a groundbreaking paleontological discovery, scientists have uncovered fossil remains of a
prehistoric snake
that challenges everything we know about reptilian evolution. Called
Titanoboa cerrejonensis
, this extinct serpent lived over 58 million years ago and is now recognised as the largest and heaviest snake ever found. Stretching up to 14 meters in length and weighing over a tonne, Titanoboa dwarfs today's anaconda and python species.
Its discovery in Colombia's Cerrejón coal mine offers rare insight into ancient ecosystems, tropical climate conditions, and the scale of prehistoric megafauna. This astonishing find reshapes our understanding of prehistoric snakes and their dominance after the dinosaurs.
World's biggest snake fossil found: Meet Titanoboa, the 58-million-year-old giant
The
Titanoboa cerrejonensis
is a now-extinct species of snake that thrived during the Paleocene Epoch, a critical period in Earth's history that followed the extinction of the dinosaurs. What sets Titanoboa apart is not only its enormous size but also the insights it offers into the evolution of reptiles, prehistoric ecosystems, and ancient climates.
According to BBC reports, this species was virtually unknown to science until 2009, when fossils were unearthed at the
Cerrejón coal mine in northern Colombia
. The discovery has since transformed our understanding of reptilian evolution and the tropical environments that emerged in the wake of mass extinction.
Source: BBC
Where and when did Titanoboa live
Titanoboa roamed Earth between 58 and 60 million years ago, during a time of ecological recovery after the dinosaurs vanished. Its remains were found in what was once a humid, swampy rainforest—now the Cerrejón mine. This site has become a treasure trove for paleontologists studying the Paleocene, revealing a rich diversity of early tropical life.
The ancient rainforest, teeming with warmth and moisture, offered the perfect environment for cold-blooded animals like Titanoboa to grow to such extraordinary sizes.
Titanoboa: Size and weight
According to scientific estimates, Titanoboa cerrejonensis reached lengths of up to 13–14 meters (42–46 feet)—about the size of a modern school bus—and weighed over one metric ton. In comparison, the green anaconda, often considered the largest living snake today, rarely exceeds 6 meters in length and 250 kg in weight. This makes Titanoboa not only the
largest snake
in the world but also a true apex predator of its time.
Source: Smithsonian Magazine
Titanoboa hunting strategy: A predator without venom
Unlike venomous snakes, Titanoboa killed its prey using constriction. It would coil around its target whether a mammal, reptile, or fish and squeeze until the animal suffocated. Once its prey was immobilized, the snake would swallow it whole, starting with the head. This mode of predation is similar to how modern boas and pythons hunt, showing that despite its size, Titanoboa's feeding behaviour followed well-known biological strategies.
Titanoboa diet
Initially, scientists assumed Titanoboa fed on large land mammals. However, further analysis of its jawbones revealed loose teeth—a feature uncommon in meat-eating snakes but typical of aquatic feeders. This surprising anatomical trait indicated that Titanoboa was a semi-aquatic snake, likely residing in rivers and lagoons, feeding primarily on large fish. This also places it in ecological comparison with today's green anaconda, which exhibits similar behaviour and habitat preference.
Climate clues hidden in Titanoboa's biology
As a cold-blooded reptile, Titanoboa depended heavily on external heat to regulate its body temperature. Its massive size would have required consistent warmth, suggesting that the climate during the Paleocene was significantly hotter than it is today. Estimates show the average temperature in its habitat was between 86°F and 93°F (30°C–34°C)—a level of heat crucial for sustaining such a giant prehistoric snake.
Why the discovery of Titanoboa matters
The discovery of Titanoboa cerrejonensis is far more than just an awe-inspiring tale of a giant snake. It provides crucial insights into:
The evolution of reptiles after the extinction of dinosaurs
The climate conditions that allowed such massive cold-blooded creatures to thrive
The biodiversity and structure of early tropical ecosystems
Also Read |
Scientists discover a 'second Earth' twice the size of our planet near a red dwarf star, 154 light-years away
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


India.com
2 days ago
- India.com
Gujarat's Vasuki Indicus or Colombia's Titanoboa, which is the largest snake on Earth? It weighs 1.25 tonnes, length is..., name is...
Since the formation of Earth, countless creatures have been born and have gone extinct. Snakes are incredible creatures , and there have been some studies about them in which it was proposed that there were once giant snakes weighing over 1 , 000 pounds on Earth . Two of the prehistoric snakes that usually come up in these debates are Vasuki indicus and Titanoboa. But have you ever wondered which is the largest snake to have ever lived on Earth? Well, it is… During the Paleocene epoch, around 58-60 million years ago, Titanoboa cerrejonensis , which lived in the swampy ecosystems of Colombia, is considered the largest prehistoric snake in history. According to the Times of India report, initially believed to be crocodile vertebrae, the fossilized vertebrae of a colossal snake, ultimately known as Titanoboa, were discovered in 2009 at the Cerrejón coal mines. Jonathan Bloch and Carlos Jaramillo later discovered the snake was Titanoboa measuring 15 metres (50 feet) long and weighing approximately 1.25 tonnes. Titanoboa , as wide as an oil drum, crushed its prey with a powerful bite that had a muscle force of approximately 400 psi . The discovery generated media attention and has led to a life- size model of Titanoboa now located in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. In 2005, paleontologists found 27 large vertebrae at the Panadhro Lignite Mine in Gujarat, India, which they thought were crocodile bones. After nearly nine years of detailed research, a group led by Sunil Bajpai determined that the fossils belonged to an undescribed giant snake species and named it Vasuki indicus after the mythological giant serpent in Hindu mythology. Dating to roughly 47 million years ago (Middle Eocene), Vasuki reached an estimated length of up to 15 m (49 feet) and weighed close to 1 tonne, reported TOI. Since the snake's gigantic size and Indian affiliation made 'Vasuki' (the celestial serpent connected to Lord Shiva) culturally significant, it was also an appropriate scientific homage.


Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Meet the wild dog with the highest hunting success rate in the world
When people think of top predators in the wild, lions, leopards, or wolves usually come to mind. These iconic hunters are often seen as the kings and queens of the food chain. But there's another predator, less famous yet exceptionally efficient, that outperforms them all when it comes to successful hunts. Often overshadowed by bigger or more charismatic carnivores, African wild dogs are one of nature's most effective hunters. These wild dogs are well known for their speed, strategy, and teamwork; they have evolved into exceptional predators that have the highest kill success rate among large carnivores. Despite their good hunting abilities, these animals remain one of Africa's most endangered species, struggling to survive in shrinking habitats and against fierce competition from larger carnivores. The apex predator with the most successful kills With their lean frames and oversized ears, African wild dogs may look harmless, but they are among the most lethal hunters in the wild. According to BBC Wildlife Magazine, they have a 'kill rate per chase of more than 85 percent,' which is far higher than the roughly 25% success rate seen in lions. This extraordinary efficiency is mostly due to their coordination and pack dynamics during hunts. A study conducted in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park revealed that pack size significantly affects hunting success. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dolly Parton, 79, Takes off Her Makeup and Leaves Us Without Words The Noodle Box Undo According to the findings, 'the success of a pack... was influenced by the age of the prey and the number of dogs hunting together,' while factors like distance from prey or available cover didn't play much of a role. Solo hunters among wild dogs often brought down smaller prey like Thomson's gazelles. However, it took larger packs to tackle tougher targets. 'Groups of two did not hunt adult wildebeest successfully,' while bigger groups could even kill calves of blue wildebeests. The study also suggested that hunting in groups 'reduced interspecific competition from spotted hyenas… through improved defence of carcasses. ' Despite this efficiency, African wild dogs often lose their hard-earned meals to larger predators. 'They may lose half of their kills… to other carnivores such as hyenas and lions,' BBC Wildlife Magazine reports. Taxonomically, African wild dogs are unique. Though part of the Canidae family, they don't belong to the Canis genus like wolves and domestic dogs. As BBC explains, 'African wild dogs are now considered close to the base of the wolf-like canids,' making them evolutionary outliers. Yet, despite their remarkable hunting skills and social intelligence, African wild dogs are classified as Endangered. Their greatest challenge isn't the lack of prey, but habitat loss, human conflict, and competition from bigger carnivores.


Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
Scientists discover 200-million-year-old flying reptile species
Nearly 200 million years ago, large flying reptile species or pterosaurs, used to fly above dinosaurs. Scientists discovered the jaw of a pterosaur in Arizona sometime in 2013; however, now they have ascertained that it is an entirely new species. They made this discovery with the help of modern scanning technology. The reptile species has been named as Eotephradactylus mcintireae which means 'ash-winged dawn goddess'. The volcanic ash is said to have preserved the reptile's bones on the ancient riverbed. The creature was named by a team of researchers from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Experts predict that the fossil of the pterosaur is 209 million years old and currently believe it to be the oldest pterosaur to be discovered in North America. The jaw of the pterosaur is just one part of the collection of fossils found in the archaeological site; the fossils include bones, teeth, fish scales, and even fossilised dung (which is known as coprolites). 'The bones of Triassic pterosaurs are small, thin, and often hollow, so they get destroyed before they get fossilised,' Dr Kligman told the BBC. The site area was a riverbed more than 200 million years ago; scales, bones, and other signs of life were progressively trapped and preserved by layers of sediment. To understand more about the creature, experts studied its teeth to narrow down what the seagull-sized reptile would have eaten during its existence. Dr Kligman told the publication that they have an unusually high degree of wear at their tips. This evidence shows that the creature was feeding on something with hard body parts. Their most likely prey were primitive fish that would have had hard scale armour covering them. The Triassic pterosaur was discovered in the desert landscape amid ancient rocks in the present day Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. Scientists say that the site where they found the creature's fossils had preserved the 'snapshot' of the ecosystem. They also found groups of animals that now are extinct. The other ancient creatures that they found include ancient armoured crocodile relatives and amphibians. And some creatures that can be recognised today, like frogs and turtles.