Gigantic prehistoric snake discovered in India may have been one of the largest ever
A massive prehistoric snake discovered in India may have rivaled the largest snake ever known. Called Vasuki indicus, the 47-million-year-old giant could have reached up to 50 feet long, making it comparable to the legendary Titanoboa. Scientists believe its enormous body made it a slow-moving ambush predator, similar to a modern anaconda.
Key points
- Fossils from Gujarat, India reveal Vasuki indicus, a snake estimated at 10.9 to 15.2 meters long.
- The Middle Eocene species lived about 47 million years ago and may rival Titanoboa in size.
- Researchers say its broad vertebrae suggest a slow, ambush-hunting lifestyle on land or in swamps.
Scientists have identified a gigantic prehistoric snake from fossils found in Gujarat, western India. Named Vasuki indicus, the reptile lived about 47 million years ago during the Middle Eocene and may have reached 15.2 meters (50 feet) in length, placing it among the largest snakes ever known.
The discovery, described in 2024 in the journal Scientific Reports, was made by paleontologists Debajit Datta and Sunil Bajpai of the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. The fossils were recovered at the Panandhro Lignite Mine in Kutch.
Fossil evidence and size estimates
The researchers examined 27 fossilized vertebrae, many well preserved and some still connected. The bones appear to have belonged to a fully grown animal. Individual vertebrae measured 37.5 to 62.7 millimeters long and 62.4 to 111.4 millimeters wide.
By comparing the fossils with vertebrae from living snakes, the team produced length estimates of 10.9 to 12.2 meters (36 to 40 feet) and 14.5 to 15.2 meters (48 to 50 feet). The exact size remains uncertain, and it is unclear whether Vasuki exceeded Titanoboa, a roughly 13-meter (43-foot) snake from ancient Colombia.
may have been one of the largest snakes ever to exist
— ScienceDaily
Lifestyle and evolutionary links
The broad vertebrae suggest a thick, cylindrical body that would have favored slow movement. Rather than chasing prey, Vasuki may have relied on ambush tactics, possibly constricting animals like modern anacondas and large pythons. Its anatomy also hints it spent time on land or in shallow, swampy environments.
Vasuki belonged to Madtsoiidae, an extinct snake family that survived for about 100 million years across India, Africa, Europe, South America and Australia. Its closest relatives include Madtsoia pisdurensis and Gigantophis garstini, suggesting a lineage of giant madtsoiid snakes originated in India before spreading.
