CaliToday (29/11/2025): A breathtaking discovery in India has stunned the scientific community, revealing an ancient snake species, Vasuki Indicus, that may rank among the largest snakes to have ever slithered on Earth. New research published in Scientific Reports details this colossal predator, which existed approximately 47 million years ago.
The New Titan of the Eocene
The newly identified species belongs to the extinct Madtsoiidae family, a group of snakes that thrived across continents before going extinct. However, Vasuki Indicus represents a unique and localized lineage, believed to have originated right in India.
The specimen was recovered from the Panandhro Lignite Mine in Kutch, Gujarat State, India, dating back to the Middle Eocene period (about 47 million years ago).
The Specimen: Researchers Debajit Datta and Sunil Bajpai described the new find, which consists of 27 mostly well-preserved vertebrae. Some of these vertebrae were found articulated (still connected), providing crucial context for size estimation.
Maturity Confirmed: The vertebrae appear to be from a fully-grown animal, allowing for accurate scaling of the snake's potential dimensions.
Size Estimation and Ecological Role
Based on the size of the recovered bones, scientists performed detailed analyses, suggesting that Vasuki Indicus reached lengths between 11 to 15 meters (36 to 49 feet). This makes it comparable in size to the famous Titanoboa, previously considered the undisputed largest snake ever found.
Ecological Significance
The enormous size of Vasuki Indicus suggests it would have been an apex predator in its ancient tropical ecosystem.
Hunting Strategy: Given its massive girth and likely slow-moving nature, researchers theorize that Vasuki Indicus likely hunted via ambush, perhaps coiling around and constricting large prey such as crocodiles or primitive mammals that shared its habitat.
Habitat Clues: The location and age of the fossil suggest that during the Eocene, the region of Gujarat was part of a warm, lush, and marshy environment, supporting the massive body size necessary for such a reptilian giant. This reinforces the long-standing theory that high environmental temperatures allowed ectothermic (cold-blooded) reptiles to evolve to such colossal scales.
The discovery of Vasuki Indicus offers profound new insights into the evolutionary history of snakes and highlights India's significance as a reservoir of unique prehistoric megafauna.
Would you like to see a comparison of Vasuki Indicus to Titanoboa?