Sunil Bajpai, a co-author of the examine, in contrast Vasuki to a different prehistoric behemoth, Titanoboa, which was found in Colombia within the early 2000s. While Titanoboa could have had barely bigger vertebrae, Vasuki’s estimated size is comparable, marking it as one of many largest snakes in historical past.
Speculating on Vasuki’s food plan, researchers urged it might have preyed upon crocodilians and different massive creatures inhabiting its surroundings. Fossils discovered within the space point out proof of crocodiles, turtles, fish, and even primitive whales, indicating a various ecosystem throughout Vasuki’s time.
The discovery of Vasuki Indicus sheds gentle on the evolution and distribution of snakes in the course of the Cenozoic period. These historical reptiles performed an important function in shaping ecosystems, and understanding their historical past supplies invaluable insights into the dynamics of Earth’s previous.
“Snakes, like most animals, are peaceable creatures and an necessary part of our ecosystem,” Datta advised Reuters.
(With PTI inputs)
