Indian researchers have found the remains of an ancient snake that was comparable in size to a bus.
The bones of the reptile were found near a coal mine in the Indian state of Gujarat. The species was named Vasuki indicus in honor of the snake king Vasuki, which the Hindu god Shiva wore around his neck.
According to scientists, these snakes, which lived 47 million years ago, could be 11 to 15 meters long and weigh up to one ton. Now the largest snakes in the world are considered to be reticulated pythons, which can exceed seven meters in length.
Most likely, Vasuki indicus were slow predators that waited for prey in ambush and then strangled it like modern pythons or boa constrictors. They may have preyed on catfish, turtles, crocodiles and primitive whales that lived in the same swampy region.
The discovery was published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.
