The Earth’s Biggest Snake

It was forty-five feet long and weighed over 2500 pounds.  Paleontologists have discovered the fossil remains of what is probably the largest snake that ever lived.  The fossils were found in northeastern Columbia where the reptile made the rain forest its home.  It was so huge that it probably dined on the crocodile’s ancient ancestors

Named Titanoboa cerrejonensis, the snake lived sixty million years ago.  It was related to the modern boa constrictor but behaved more like an anaconda.  The beast was revealed initially at the University of Florida in Gainesville.  The warmer the environment, the bigger the snake so this find suggests that the temperatures at the equator were much warmer than they are now.

Titanoboa dwarfs modern snakes in size.  The four largest snakes in the world and their maximum lengths are:

• The Reticulated Python: 32 feet
• The Green Anaconda: 28 feet
• The African Rock Python: 25 feet
• The Burmese Python: 20 feet

As you can see, the Reticulated Python is arguably the largest snake on Earth.  Its average adult length is 18 feet  and eats mostly mammals and birds.  This snake lives in southeast Asia.  The Reticulated Python ambushes its prey and is well-suited for this with its ability to blend in with its background. 

Generally, giant snakes are harmless to humans and will try to escape from a man 99% of the time.  It is only dangerous when cornered.

In summary, the fossils of what is possibly the largest snake that ever lived have been found in Columbia. The snake, titanoboa, lived in the Columbia rain forest about sixty million years ago.  Titanoboa was much larger than today’s biggest snake, the Reticulated Python. The most important thing to remember about giant snakes is that they will leave you alone if you leave them alone.