11/2/2023 0 Comments Largest anaconda ever realThe backbones of boas are similar enough that, with help from a computer, you can tell where any individual vertebra sits down the length of the snake by looking at its shape. Living boas come in various sizes, but their similar proportions gave Head the data he needed to work out how big Titanoboa actually was. The giant serpent is closely related to today’s boas and anacondas, snakes that kill their prey with suffocating coils. It’s the latest fossil to emerge from Colombia’s, one of the world’s largest open-pit mines and an unexpected bonanza of prehistoric reptile fossils. Titanoboa cerrejonesis is new to science and was discovered by a team of North American scientists led by Jason Head at the University of Toronto. It’s arguably the largest snake alive, so just think about how big the owner of the fossilised vertebra on the right would have been! There’s a good reason why this new discovery – the largest snake that ever slithered – has been named Titanoboa. The smaller model on the left belongs to the anaconda, a giant serpent that can grow to 7 metres in length and weigh as much as 45kg. You’re looking at vertebrae from two species of snake. This is sure to be one of the most amazing scientific images of the year.
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