World's BIGGEST Snake ever, Titanoboa
Like 5 Dislike 0 Published on 30 Jun 2016
Largest snake to ever roam the earth is the Titanoboa ! The Titanic snake was proven to exist when scientists discovered huge fossils all over South America.
Check out these 18 Titanoboa Facts, World’s biggest Snake Ever
First Appearance … Titanoboa made its appearance during the Paleocene epoch and was one of the first large reptiles to reclaim ecological niches that appeared after dinosaurs and marine reptiles died off at the end of the Cretaceous period. Those animals vanished after the K/T Extinction event -- or the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction Event -- some 65 million years ago.
What’s in a name? … Because of its name, it’s easy to imagine that Titanoboa -- or “titanic boa” behaved like today’s boa constrictor .. wrapping itself around its victim, then squeezing until its prey suffocates. More likely, the big snake stayed half-submerged in water, slithering close to its unaware victim. Then it would dramatically leap and clamp its huge jaws around the windpipe of its prey. You wouldn’t think of a boa constrictor hunting prey like a crocodile!
The Rightful King -- Gigantophis was a 33-foot long snake that weighed a thousand pounds, and was widely hailed as the king of snakes. But along slithers Titanoboa, weighing in at more than a ton and stretching more than 40 feet long! And adding insult to injury, Titanoboa showed up some 40 million years earlier.
Size Matters -- Titanoboa truly was titanic compared to many of today’s snakes around twice as long as today’s longest snakes. But today’s Giant Anaconda has nothing to be ashamed about. Larger specimens have have weighed around 500 pounds and measured 25 feet head to tail. Good luck trying to get shove that into carry on luggage!
Fight Club … Along with a gigantic snake, it seems that South America during the early Paleocene was home to a giant snapping turtle as well. Remains of the one-ton snapping turtle Carbonemys have been located in the same area as fossils of Titanoboa. Some experts think there’s a chance these two giant animals might have clashed from time to time. That would make for a great fight card … Who do you think would win?
Undercover -- Many of today’s venomous snakes have brightly colored markings, or distinct patterns. But Titanoboa and many other reptiles in its environment had no such markings. Any noticeable color or pattern could have served to warn prey of the snake’s presence … And this animal obtained its food by sneaking up on its prey.
NYC Snake -- Did you know a Titanoboa was actually spotted at Grand Central Station in New York City. In 2012 the Smithsonian Institution had a 48-foot-long model of the beast installed in the busy rail terminal. A museum spokesman claimed the exhibit was there to “scare the hell out of people”. It also may have had something to do with the Smithsonian Tv special called, “Titanoboa: Monster Snake”.
Fossil Factory -- Since 2004, the fossils of 28 Titanoboa snakes were discovered in Cerrejon, Columbia’s biggest mining operation and one of the largest open pit mines in the world. Why were so many Titanoboa fossils found in this region? It’s believed that warm tropical climates were a big reason for their enormous size. Snakes require warmer temperatures to charge their metabolism. It’s believed that the warm climate allowed cold-blooded creatures to grow to such immense sizes.
Big as a Bus -- Without competition from the dinosaurs, Titanoboa was the largest predator in the world for some 10 million years. Its enormous size would make you think of something out of a horror movie. To put things in perspective, take a look at this graph from snake-facts.weebly.com … Titanoboa was longer than a 40 foot bus and could lift its tail over 6 feet high, taller than an adult human. How would you like to see that slithering around in your garden?
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