A newly described fossil snake from India, Vasuki indicus, may have grown as long as 15.2 meters (50 feet), putting it in the same size class as the famous Titanoboa. Paleontologists Debajit Datta and Sunil Bajpai identified the species from 27 vertebrae found at the Panandhro Lignite Mine in Gujarat. The bones date to about 47 million years ago, during the Middle Eocene, and appear to have belonged to a fully grown adult.
The researchers used two methods to estimate the snake's length, yielding ranges of 10.9–12.2 meters and 14.5–15.2 meters. They caution that reconstructing total size from an incomplete backbone involves considerable uncertainty, so it remains unclear whether Vasuki actually exceeded Titanoboa, which is thought to have reached around 13 meters. The vertebrae's broad shape suggests a thick, cylindrical body, and the scientists propose the snake was a slow-moving ambush predator that subdued prey by constriction, much like modern anacondas.
Vasuki indicus belonged to the extinct family Madtsoiidae, a lineage that persisted for roughly 100 million years. Its ancient habitat in western India included wetlands and marshes, and the region's tropical climate—with average temperatures near 28°C—may have helped such large-bodied snakes thrive. The exact size, diet, and behavior of Vasuki remain uncertain, but the discovery adds a new chapter to the history of giant snakes. (The source is a single ScienceDaily report based on research published in Scientific Reports in 2024.)