The largest snake of all time was discovered

The largest species of snake known so far has been discovered in India, reports Live Science. The previously unknown species a Vasuki Indicus it was given a name that refers to the giant snake known from Hinduism, Vasuki, who was often carried around the neck of the god Shiva.

The researchers found 27 fossilized vertebrae in a lignite mine, and based on these they managed to identify the new species. Experts believe that the giant snake could have lived about 47 million years ago and could have reached a length of up to 15 meters.

According to this, this could be the largest known species of snake that ever lived on Earth, surpassing the previous record holder, the 13-meter Titanoboa cerrejonensisalso At the same time, the scientists admit that their estimate may not be completely accurate, as it is difficult to determine the size of a long-extinct animal based on so few surviving bones.

THE To V. Indicus presumably, it had a wide, cylindrical body, and based on this, it can be concluded that it lived mainly on land. Snakes living in water are much more characterized by a flat body.

The ancient snake species is a distant relative of the anacondas that still live today, and like them, it could hunt by ambushing its prey, which it then wrapped around its body to strangle and crush. However, it is not yet known what kind of animals this giant predator could feed on.