Neither anaconda nor reticulated python: this is what the titanoboa, the largest snake in history weighing 14 meters and one ton, looked like

The Titanoboa is one of the most fascinating creatures of prehistory. It was a giant snake that lived approximately 60 million years ago, during the Paleocene epoch, in what is now South America, particularly in the region of Colombia.It is estimated to have been between 12 and 15 meters long (about 40 to 50 feet) and weighed over 1 ton. It was a constrictor predator, meaning it killed its prey by suffocation, including primitive crocodiles and large fish. It lived in humid, tropical rainforests, similar to those today but with an even hotter climate.

Its fossils were discovered in 2009 in the Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia. Scientists Jonathan Bloch and Jason Head determined that it was the largest known snake, surpassing even modern anacondas and pythons.

It is believed that the warm climate of the Paleocene, when global temperatures were significantly higher, allowed cold-blooded reptiles like Titanoboa to grow to enormous sizes. That ecosystem also provided large prey, such as crocodiles and giant turtles, to support such massive predators.

By comparison, the green anaconda can grow up to 8 meters and weighs around 250 kg, while the reticulated python can exceed 9 meters, but doesn’t reach Titanoboa’s weight.This super snake went extinct due to climate changes, such as global cooling, which affected its tropical habitat. Its name means “titanic boa,” in reference to its colossal size.

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