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Palaeontology

World's largest ever snake discovered

By T.K. Randall
February 5, 2009 · Comment icon 20 comments

Image Credit: Image After
A new species of prehistoric giant boa constrictor, the "Titanoboa", has been discovered. This behemoth of the reptile world lived several million years ago, weighed as much as a car and was as long as a school bus, putting even the most terrifying of Hollywood's giant movie snakes to shame.
The largest snake the world has ever known — as long as a school bus and as heavy as a small car — ruled tropical ecosystems only 6 million years after the demise of the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex, according to a new discovery published in the journal Nature.Partial skeletons of a new giant, boa constrictor-like snake named “Titanoboa” found in Colombia by an international team of scientists and now at the University of Florida are estimated to be 42 to 45 feet long, the length of the T-Rex “Sue” displayed at Chicago’s Field Museum."


Source: University of Florida | Comments (20)




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Comment icon #11 Posted by Dezmond 15 years ago
He means in the very early Biblical days before the flood. The flood changed the planet and affected all life even mankind. It's the sun that ages us and before the flood the earth had a huge canopy of water over the whole planet protcting all life from harmful rays of the sun that's why they lived so long back then for like hundreds of years till as time passed the lifespan of man got shorter and shorter. Now it's starting to get longer again because of technology. But that is fiction.
Comment icon #12 Posted by PaperMoon 15 years ago
But that is fiction. That is your opinion.
Comment icon #13 Posted by AGoodWriter 15 years ago
That is your opinion. So is the snake alive?
Comment icon #14 Posted by BaneSilvermoon 15 years ago
Hmmm... if that's a Titanboa then what's this http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3845750/ Reticulated Pythons are big too... Perhaps only rare ones reach 40 feet or above.. That one was proved to be a 21 foot long hoax. Largest verified living snakes these days sit somewhere around 32 feet.
Comment icon #15 Posted by REBEL 15 years ago
According to the article: ''Based on the snake’s size, the team was able to calculate that the mean annual temperature at equatorial South America '60 million years ago would have been about 91 degrees Fahrenheit, about 10 degrees warmer than today', Bloch said.'' Yet we led to believe Planet earth is right here & now going thru some kind of Global Warming and or Climate *cough* Change? Does that mean...naaahhh... ''Call me Sssnake''
Comment icon #16 Posted by Dr. Peter Venkman 15 years ago
He means in the very early Biblical days before the flood. The flood changed the planet and affected all life even mankind. It's the sun that ages us and before the flood the earth had a huge canopy of water over the whole planet protcting all life from harmful rays of the sun that's why they lived so long back then for like hundreds of years till as time passed the lifespan of man got shorter and shorter. Now it's starting to get longer again because of technology. You have to be kidding...
Comment icon #17 Posted by stargazer123 15 years ago
It will interesting to see what else comes of it with further studies. I find it so strange that people on this thread are automatically skeptical of the find. Giant snakes? Certainly plausible just look at dinosaurs.
Comment icon #18 Posted by stargazer123 15 years ago
According to the article: ''Based on the snake’s size, the team was able to calculate that the mean annual temperature at equatorial South America '60 million years ago would have been about 91 degrees Fahrenheit, about 10 degrees warmer than today', Bloch said.'' Yet we led to believe Planet earth is right here & now going thru some kind of Global Warming and or Climate *cough* Change? Does that mean...naaahhh... ''Call me Sssnake'' The dropping temps in the tropics from millions of years ago could have a lot to do with volcanic eruptions. Scientists already know that volcanic eruptions... [More]
Comment icon #19 Posted by REBEL 15 years ago
It will interesting to see what else comes of it with further studies. The same as always i guess scientific uncertainties and speculations. I find it so strange that people on this thread are automatically skeptical of the find. Giant snakes? Certainly plausible just look at dinosaurs. Good point... But not sure it has anything to do with skepticism or not, more like p/s cynicism...on my behalf, anyway Scientist themselves aren't even certain of their find... The dropping temps in the tropics from millions of years ago could have a lot to do with volcanic eruptions. Scientists already know th... [More]
Comment icon #20 Posted by stargazer123 15 years ago
The same as always i guess scientific uncertainties and speculations. Good point... But not sure it has anything to do with skepticism or not, more like p/s cynicism...on my behalf, anyway Scientist themselves aren't even certain of their find... As i understood it, they not talking about lower earth temps back then but an increase in comparison to now that caused these snakes(?) to become so massive. Bottom line: Just from that short extract, they've given us alot of ifs could have's & would have's...can you blame anyone for being cynical No Rebel I cannot blame you for being cynical love... [More]


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