What is the world's oldest snake? Jurassic reptile found in UK
But the UK is also thought to be the home of the world's oldest snake, which dates back 167 million years to the Jurassic period.
Native wild animals in the UK
What is the oldest snake in the world?
The oldest snake in the world is the Eophis underwoodi, according to BBC Wildlife Magazine.
Fossil remains of the snake, primarily jaw fragments, were found in the Forest Marble Formation at Kirtlington Quarry in Oxfordshire.
Eophis underwoodi dates back around 167 million years to the Bathonian Age during the Middle Jurassic era.
BBC Wildlife Magazine said: "Prior to 2015, the oldest known fossil snakes were ~100 million years old.
"The discovery of Eophis extended the known geological range of snakes by more than 60 million years and suggested they may have originated at a similar time to most other major groups of scaly reptiles."
The snake is believed to have been alive around the same time as the Megalosaurus - a 6-metre long, meat-eating dinosaur, which also called a similar part of southern England home.
BBC Wildlife Magazine added that the Eophis was "far from a giant", only measuring around 25cm.
This is a far cry from the Titanoboa, which is the largest snake ever, at around 13m in length (which dates back to around 60 million years ago).
The Eophis underwoodi was much smaller than the Titanoboa (pictured), which is the largest snake ever. (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) The BBC experts continued: "Eophis is thought to have lived in swamps, hunting tiny fish, insects, and tadpoles.
"It's also believed it had tiny hind limbs, like many other ancient snakes."
RECOMMENDED READING:
How long do the UK's native snakes live for?
The three snakes that can currently be found in the UK have a lifespan ranging from 15 to 25 years, according to The Wildlife Trusts.
The adder has an average lifespan of up to 15 years, while the smooth snake can live for around 20 years.
The grass snake has the longest average lifespan of the UK's native species, as it can live for up to 25 years.
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What is the world's oldest snake? Jurassic reptile found in UK
There are three snake species native to the UK - the adder, grass snake and smooth snake. But the UK is also thought to be the home of the world's oldest snake, which dates back 167 million years to the Jurassic period. Native wild animals in the UK What is the oldest snake in the world? The oldest snake in the world is the Eophis underwoodi, according to BBC Wildlife Magazine. Fossil remains of the snake, primarily jaw fragments, were found in the Forest Marble Formation at Kirtlington Quarry in Oxfordshire. Eophis underwoodi dates back around 167 million years to the Bathonian Age during the Middle Jurassic era. BBC Wildlife Magazine said: "Prior to 2015, the oldest known fossil snakes were ~100 million years old. "The discovery of Eophis extended the known geological range of snakes by more than 60 million years and suggested they may have originated at a similar time to most other major groups of scaly reptiles." The snake is believed to have been alive around the same time as the Megalosaurus - a 6-metre long, meat-eating dinosaur, which also called a similar part of southern England home. BBC Wildlife Magazine added that the Eophis was "far from a giant", only measuring around 25cm. This is a far cry from the Titanoboa, which is the largest snake ever, at around 13m in length (which dates back to around 60 million years ago). The Eophis underwoodi was much smaller than the Titanoboa (pictured), which is the largest snake ever. (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) The BBC experts continued: "Eophis is thought to have lived in swamps, hunting tiny fish, insects, and tadpoles. "It's also believed it had tiny hind limbs, like many other ancient snakes." RECOMMENDED READING: How long do the UK's native snakes live for? The three snakes that can currently be found in the UK have a lifespan ranging from 15 to 25 years, according to The Wildlife Trusts. The adder has an average lifespan of up to 15 years, while the smooth snake can live for around 20 years. The grass snake has the longest average lifespan of the UK's native species, as it can live for up to 25 years.
