Gigantic Snake Fossil Found in Gujarat Dethrones Titanoboa as Largest Snake Ever

A fossil vertebrae discovered in Gujarat has been named after Vasuki, the snake king associated with Lord Shiva. The scientists from IIT-Roorkee who made the discovery in 2005 recently confirmed that it belonged to the largest snake ever, Vasuki Indicus.

The finding establishes India’s crucial link in the origin and evolutionary process of various species, especially reptiles. The researchers uncovered 27 vertebrae from the snake, estimating its length to be between 11-15 meters and its weight to be about 1 tonne.

The snake must have been in the range of 11-15 meters and estimated to weigh around 1 tonne. It was likely a slow-moving ambush predator that would subdue its prey through constriction, similar to anacondas and pythons.

The fossil has been named after Vasuki, the snake king associated with Lord Shiva. Comparisons have been drawn with Titanoboa, a snake that lived in Colombia around 60 million years ago, which measured about 43 feet in length and weighed over a tonne.

While the vertebrae of Titanoboa are slightly larger than those of Vasuki, it’s uncertain whether Vasuki was more massive or slender compared to Titanoboa. The largest living snake today is Asia’s reticulated python, measuring at 10 meters (33 feet).

Although the fossil was found in a dry and dusty area today, it was once a swampy environment where Vasuki roamed. This finding not only provides insight into the evolution of snakes but also enhances our understanding of how continents physically shifted over time and how species dispersed across the globe.