Titanoboa Be glad these don’t exist today. Between 58 and 60 million years ago this titanic bo

TitanoboaBe glad these don’t exist today.Between 58 and 60 million years ago this titanic boa (species: titanoboa cerrejonensis) slithered across South America. They existed during the Paleocene epoch for about 10 million years.In 2009, the fossils of the monster were discovered at an open coal mine in Colombia called Cerrejón.Researchers estimate that the larger Titanoboas had a length of just below 13 meters (42.6 ft) and weighed in the region of 1100 Kg (2425.085 lb). This monstrous creature could swallow an entire crocodile without showing a bulge. Up until the discovery of the titanoboa, the gigantophis*, measuring up to 10 meters, was thought to be the largest snake that existed.Dr Carlos Jaramillo from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and a member of the squad that made the discovery, said that the biggest snake today is half the size of the Titanoboa. Despite the size, an analysis of the skull revealed that it’s a closer relative to the boa constrictor than the anaconda.This snake was not venomous. Instead, it crushes its prey with an incredible force.Many say that the discovery of the Titanoboa is the most important find since the T-Rex in 1902.The Carbonemys, a giant snapping turtle, is believed to have roamed the same lands as the Titanoboas. Scientists also believe that these two may have often faced off in epic duels.Today, you can find a life-sized replica (pictured below) at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, USA.*The Gigantophis existed about 40 million years ago in an area that is now Algeria and Egypt. Their diet consisted mostly of basal proboscideans (ancestors of elephants which were small in size). Scientists hailed it as the King of all Snakes.-Renesh TImage credit:Ryan Quick from Greenbelt, MD, USAhttp://bit.ly/1FJmFlQSources/Further reading:http://bbc.in/1JKAa8Jhttp://abt.cm/1JKAe8qhttp://bit.ly/1awlaiihttp://bit.ly/1E2qRCp -- source link

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