Snake: Titanoboa and Why It Matters

Year 2002. Colombian Sarchon Formation, South America. Paleontologists from the Smitnivsky Institute of Tropical Research are conducting their next planned excavation and find the skeletons of two giant prehistoric animals in a coal mine. But the main discovery of this expedition was not them at all. One of the scientists found another rather strange bone. It was a vertebra almost 13 centimeters wide and eight times larger than a human. The size of the bone meant that the monster found was simply gigantic. And not just compared to us. The remains of giant animals found nearby were most likely his prey.

Scientists believe that this predator could have weighed as much as a Volkswagen Golf convertible. And in their opinion, the animal to which this vertebra belonged died millions of years ago. But what about other members of the species? Scientists don't have all the answers. Could this prehistoric monster still exist today Now you see before you an ordinary coal mine. But over 60 million years ago, life flourished here. The coal from this area is essentially the fossils of plants and trees that grew in the very first rainforest on the planet.

Scientists were able to learn about this thanks to excavations in the area of northern Colombia. At first glance, it is surprising that bulldozers and tractors from the Serekhon mine continue to operate in the area of paleontological research , as they can damage important specimens. But it turns out that this actually works in the scientists' favor. Fossils are usually found below coal seams. Huge mining machines extract tons of coal and expose hundreds of square meters of rocks that are really important to study. Thus, the joint work of miners and paleontologists gave us an idea of the fauna and flora of Paleocene times. In short, everything was about the same as in the modern tropics, only much larger in size.

For example, the found turtle Cherechonemis Vaionii turned out to be the size of a Smart Car. The length of its shell is at least 1.5 meters. In addition, the almost five-meter-long Anthracosuchus Balrogusa crocodile resembles a Porsche in size. But the size of the skeletal elements of an unknown beast found by Carlos Jaramillo simply shocked the expedition members. It was he who found the very first link to the historical monster. And then paleontologists found another spine. And more, and more. After modeling a complete skeleton, they determined that this beast may have had a total of about

250 vertebrae, which together formed a giant snake. Thus was found the largest snake that ever existed. Titan Boa. Its dimensions are truly titanic, 13 m in length. That's almost like one and a half standard limousines. In addition, at this point, paleontologists have already discovered about 30 skeletons of Titanoboa, which confirmed that 13 m was the norm for an adult individual. But it is possible that there were much larger specimens. Scientists believe that such a significant size of the snake directly depends on temperature. The warmer the climate in which a snake lives, the larger it becomes.

This happens because small individuals tolerate overheating no worse. For example, the Barbados narrow-mouthed snake, which is one of the smallest living snakes, reaches a maximum length of 10.4 cm. That's literally 2.5 cm longer than the average earthworm. It lives in the tropics, just like the giant titanoboa once did. But in the tropics of Barbas, constant cold winds from the Atlantic Ocean blow. And that's why the snakes in this region are so small. For comparison, let's take the largest modern snake, the Anaconda. It lives in the same warm regions of South America where Titanoboa once ruled The length of the anaconda reaches 6 m, which is quite a lot for a reptile of our time, but it is still half the size of the extinct giant snake

from the hot Paleocene. However, scientists believe that climate and temperature influenced not only the colossal size of Titanoboa, but also the process of its gradual disappearance. Shortly before the appearance of Titanoboa, the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event occurred, which wiped out 75% of species on the planet, including dinosaurs. This was a moment of serious climate change. About 4.5 trillion tons of carbon entered the atmosphere of the Toucan. which provoked a hotter climate on the planet. The average global temperature of the Paleocene was about 25°, in contrast to the temperature, for example, in the 2000s AD, which reached 14.5°.

Such a hot, pre-historic environment led to a huge diversity of fauna, and consequently, potential victims of the hungry Titanoboa, which also felt as comfortable as possible in such an environment. It was the top predator not only of South America but, in fact, of the entire planet. An adult snake could easily defeat 140-kilogram turtles and swallow huge crocodiles. But that doesn't mean that the existence of Titanoboa wasn't threatened. It is possible that the eggs with the young were eaten by the same crocodiles. In addition, scientists suggest that the mating games of the giant snake were quite specific and dangerous for the species itself. It all started with

Senti and Naoboa fighting for the right to mate with a female that interested them. But the most interesting thing is that after sexual intercourse with the winner, the female killed her partner and ate him, and after about a month, snakes hatched from the eggs she laid. As you can see, even in its heyday, this species was quite rare, as Obo Titans could die before birth or in a mating battle. However, scientists believe that the main cause of the extinction was a sudden climate change. Closer to the beginning of the Miocene, average global temperatures began to slowly decrease to a catastrophic 12°C for the heat-loving titanoboa.

Large reptiles gradually disappeared, and small snakes took their places in the ecosystem. The Titan Boa also could not get used to its new habitat. Tropical forests turned into something like grasslands, and the animals that Titanoboa hunted became extinct or became smaller in size. Scientists believe that the snake became extinct due to its inability to feed itself. And that's a very strange assumption. Did an animal that was at the very top of the food chain and had no equal in fights become extinct due to banal climate change and really fail to adapt at all? Although scientists claim that Titanoboa became extinct long before the appearance of humans, stories about an incredibly

large snake are very common in the cultures of different peoples. Legends are not necessarily fiction, but rather an exaggerated vision of the world by our ancestors. The Old Testament contains several references to a sea monster in the form of the giant serpent Leviathan. He was the embodiment of chaos, the devourer of souls damned after death, and the true king of beasts. Moreover, most texts describe him as a real creature that people actually encountered. A similar monster also kept the Scandinavian people in fear. Viking legends often mentioned a mighty sea serpent that grew so huge that it covered the entire earth and grabbed its own tail with its mouth.

His name is Jormungandr. It appears on several pre-Christian and early Christian chronicle stones and engravings. For example, the story of how the thunder god Thor tried to kill a huge monster is carved on a 10th-century Naronian stone, which is now in the National Museum of Denmark. Interestingly, the huge snake could have lived in the Norwegian Sea, which is located on the edge of the Arctic Ocean near the Scandinavian Peninsula. The warm Norwegian Current, which is a continuation of the Gulf Stream, passes through it. Thanks to this, the sea does not freeze even in winter. The perfect den for a warm-headed titanoboa.

It is logical that mentions of it also occur in the myths of the hot east. In the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, there are references to the giant naga snake. According to beliefs, she lives in caves, reservoirs, on the ground, in water, or underground. And most interestingly, we can see it today. Thais believe that Naga is hiding in Phu Lankha National Park. But time turned it into a creepy rock. And don't think that this is a trick for tourists. No one was carving every single scale on the stone specifically. Some tourists speculate that the giant rock was once the Titanoboa snake, which was petrified by a volcanic eruption.

Park officials claim that this formation is actually made up of rocks that have cracked in the sun over the past 100,000 years. The sharp temperature differences between day and night caused the rocks to expand, then contract, and eventually crack. Combined with water erosion, the scaly pattern of a giant serpentine rock eventually formed. But for some reason there are no similar rocks nearby. It turns out that the temperatures only affected this stone. But besides myths and legends, there is evidence of the existence of the Titan God, recorded by eyewitnesses on video. If you look closely, you will see the

silhouette of a snake swimming under the murky waters. From how long its tail stretches before disappearing from the field of vision, it can be assumed that this reptile is larger than an anaconda. And this photo was taken by unusual telephone attendants, and by US CIA employees in 1959. The agents were just flying a helicopter over the Republic of Congo in Africa. Suddenly they noticed a strange object. It was a snake that probably reached a length of as much as 59 m. And this is much larger than the sizes found by scientists of the Titanoboa skeletons. Based on remains alone, scientists cannot give a

100% accurate description of an extinct animal with all its habits and characteristics. Therefore, it is possible that the Titan Boa may have had a tendency to hibernate. Paleontologists simply overlooked it. This is the ability of living organisms, roughly speaking, to put their lives on pause. Heart rate, breathing slows down, and body temperature drops. Thanks to this kind of hibernation, they can survive harsh winters, drought, food shortages, and other extreme conditions. For example, common garter snakes hibernate with the onset of cold weather in late October and continue to do so until April.

They spend all this time in small underground caves. But what if millions of years ago, on the verge of dying due to cooling, Tatanaboga also fell into a sleep, hiding underground? Then the question arises, when and most importantly, where will she wake up? Paleontologist Carlos Jaramilio, who first discovered Titanoboa, believes that the likelihood of the giant reptile's return is quite high. But this is only possible with an increase in temperature on the planet and after at least a million years. However, no one knew that global warming would gain such rapid momentum and that the scientist's assumptions could come true right now.

He gave all his major interviews right after the Titanoboa skeleton was first discovered. If then the average global temperature was still unacceptable for the comfortable existence of Titanoboa, then global warming in recent years has completely changed the picture. Currently, the average annual temperature in equatorial regions is about 31°, which is even higher than the average global temperature of the Paleocene. If Titanoboa has really been in a bottle all this time, now is the best time to wake up. And maybe she already did. In various news reports from warm countries, there are suspicious cases that may indicate that a giant snake has been awake for a long time. For example, India

Waterport has an article about mysterious cases of large-scale fish disappearances. Fisherman Jaman Ram, a resident of the state of Uttarakhand in northern India, recalls that he used to be able to catch about 100 kg of fish a day on the Ramganga River, but now that is no longer possible. Freshwater biodiversity in India has begun to decline dramatically, with populations of large migratory fish declining by a staggering 94%. Locals believe that pollution, mining, and overfishing are the causes. But what if someone else is hunting fish in Indian waters? The Indian climate is quite comfortable for large reptiles. The country's news feed is often filled with reports of

giant snakes that either try to swallow deer alive or block the path of pedestrians right in the city. It's likely that this environment would have been suitable for the more massive Titanoboa snakes. Moreover, the Cheneys believe that Titanoboa ate mainly fish. They came to this conclusion based on the snake's palate, as well as the number and anatomy of its teeth. Of course, most of the fish species that prehistoric monsters fed on are now extinct or in decline, so if Titanoboa is still alive, it would need a big catch. But that's not the worst part. As you already know, when this snake wanted to eat a good meal, it even reached out to giant crocodiles.

But what would Titanoboa eat if it were alive now? Of course, us. The historical crocodile found in the serhondo format, which Titanoboa hunted, weighed as much as 410 kg. To get the same amount of meat, Titanoboa would have to swallow about seven people. This fact forces us to take a fresh look at the horrific statistics of disappearances. For example, in British Columbia, Canada's westernmost province, there has been a disproportionate number of missing people in recent years. almost 125 people in 2020 alone. And while these statistics in British Columbia continue to exceed the national average, there is no clear consensus on why this is the case.

Yes, North America is not at all the same America where, according to scientists, Titanoboa lived, but its remains were found relatively recently and have not been fully studied. Therefore, the range of Titanoboa could have been much wider. We just don't know about it yet In addition, there is another piece of evidence that indicates that This map shows the locations where unidentified human remains were found. This is a small number of missing people who were found at least dead. As you can see, they are all located along the water's edge. But how could so many people fall victim to the Titan God? After all, it's hard not to notice such a huge hiker

. The whole thing may be a special hunting technique that helped the snake feed itself in prehistoric times. Titanoboa was a boa constrictor, but it hunted like a crocodile. Presumably, in our time it also waits for its victim in the water, partially submerging itself in the water, because it can hold its breath. The snake has an inconspicuous color, so victims could either not notice it at all or confuse it with algae. When a potential snake meal comes within its reach, the Titan Boa attacks with a sudden lunge. Then, with its massive

jaws, it bites its prey by the neck. Thus, the injured victim cannot escape. After that, the titanoboa wraps itself around the body several times and continues to strangle the victim. The grip strength of this reptile is over 180 kg per 6.5 cm². Simply put, this is approximately the same load a person would receive if they fell under one and a half Brooklyn bridges. When the victim is finally crushed, the baby boa swallows it whole. You don't even need to chew it. Then the long digestion process will begin. Our bones are made up of calcium phosphate and other salts. They are not soluble in water, but dissolve in hydrochloric acid, which is present in gastric juice in fairly high concentrations. So you're kind of going missing.

Unfortunately, paleontologists draw their conclusions about the appearance and behavior of an extinct animal only from a pile of scattered bones, which means they can make many mistakes. But we can't just sit back and wait for experts to study videos of Titanoboa-like snakes and for the police to deal with mass disappearances. Therefore, if you live near a body of water and have started to notice strange footprints in the sand, suspicious algae in the water, or strange ripples on the surface, be careful.