Vasuki indicus

Vasuki indicus Latest News

A massive prehistoric snake discovered in India named Vasuki indicus may have rivaled the largest snake ever known.

About Vasuki indicus

• It is an ancient snake species, the fossils of which were first unearthed in 2005 at the Panandhro Lignite Mine in the Kutch district of Gujarat. 
• However, the species was only identified and described as a new genus in 2024. 
• It is named after Vasuki, the mythical snake often depicted around the neck of the Hindu god Shiva. 
• It belonged to the now-extinct Madtsoiidae family, a group of large, non-venomous constrictor snakes. 
• It is thought to have existed during the Middle Eocene (47.8 to 38 million years ago), when the Earth’s temperature was good enough to permit the evolution of large, cold-blooded reptiles. 
• Vasuki indicus is believed to have been an incredible 49 feet long.
• This discovery places it among the longest known snake species, rivaling Titanoboa, which grew up to 42 feet and lived around 60 million years ago in South America. 
• Individual vertebrae measured between 37.5 and 62.7 millimeters (1.48 and 2.47 inches) long and between 62.4 and 111.4 millimeters (2.46 and 4.39 inches) wide. 
• Their unusually broad shape suggests that Vasuki possessed a thick, cylindrical body capable of supporting tremendous weight. 
• Its skeletal structure suggests that it was a slow-moving ambush predator, similar to modern pythons and anacondas.

News: SD

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