Clearly this species is not the Giant Anaconda. However, even the largest confirmed species of anaconda (the green anaconda) only reaches approximately between 10-17 feet (3-5 meters) long, though one report claims to have found one that was 23 feet (7 meters) long. The green anaconda is the largest confirmed species of snake (slowmotiongli / Adobe Stock) Most who claim the existence of the Giant Anaconda say it hides by camouflaging in deep waters. It is important to not confuse this reptile’s nickname with the Giant Anaconda being discussed here.Īnacondas are semi-aquatic snakes, meaning they exist on land but also excel at swimming in the rapid waters of the Amazon. The most common breed of anaconda is also the largest: the green anaconda, which has also been nicknamed the common anaconda and the giant anaconda. Specifically, there are four species of anaconda: the green anaconda, the yellow anaconda, the dark-spotted anaconda, and the Bolivian anaconda. All About AnacondasĪnacondas are a large group of snakes found in and around the Amazon rainforest in South America. If we look at the evidence, however, the claims about this legendary creature may not be all that far off. Though many claims have been made, no official sightings or evidence of this monster’s existence have come to light. Indeed it has been described as even longer than in Fawcett’s description, reaching over 100 feet (30 meters) long and residing in the Amazon river basin. To some, this giant snake is called Yacumama, meaning “mother of water.” Fawcett, but one whose existence, for now, remains unproven.Īccording to Fawcett and others in history who have claimed to see the Giant Anaconda, the massive prehistoric snake is over 40 feet (12 meters) long and at least a foot (30 cm) in diameter. Scientists also found fossils of prehistoric crocodiles and tortoises that Titanboa may have fed on in the rain forest.Everyone has heard of Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster, but what about the Giant Anaconda? The Giant Anaconda is a fascinating creature first described by 19 th century explorer Percy H. The latest fossils were found inside the Cerrejon coal mine, in Colombia's northeastern region of Guajira. The previous snake size record was held by a python that measured 10 meters (33 feet) and weighed (403 pounds), the Smithsonian said. The size and weight of Titanoboa - its name is derived from its current descendant, the boa constrictor - was determined by comparing its fossil vertebrae to the radius-to-length ratio of living snakes. "That means that tropical rainforests could exist at temperatures 3-4 degrees Celsius hotter than modern tropical rainforests experience," he added, alluding to scientific theories that would have tropical forests disappear if global warming boosts temperatures by that measure in the future. "This temperature estimate is much hotter than modern temperatures in tropical rainforests anywhere in the world," said Carlos Jaramillo, Smithsonian staff scientist and co-organizer of the excavations in Colombia. From the size of the 1.14-tonne Titanoboa, scientists have estimated the average annual temperature in the tropical jungle it inhabited 60 million years ago at 30-34 degrees Celsius (86-93 degrees Farenheit). "This shows how much more information about the history of Earth there is to glean from a resource like the reptile fossil record," said the assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Toronto Mississauga. "The discovery of Titanoboa challenges our understanding of past climates and environments, as well as the biological limitations on the evolution of giant snakes," said Jason Head, member of the Panama-based research institute and lead author of the study to be published Thursday in Nature magazine. AFP - Scientists have found a 60-million-year-old fossil of the world's largest snake, a 13-meter (42-foot), one-tonne behemoth dubbed Titanoboa, in a coal mine in Colombia, the US Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute said Wednesday.
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