Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: NDTV
Context: A fossil vertebrae discovered in Gujarat has been confirmed as belonging to the largest snake to have ever lived, named ‘Vasuki Indicus.’
- Unearthed in 2005 by scientists from IIT-Roorkee, the snake is estimated to have been 11-15 meters (about 50 feet) in length and weighed around 1 tonne.
- Vasuki likely lived as an ambush predator in marshy swamps during a time of higher global temperatures.
The fossil’s size rivals that of Titanoboa, a snake from Colombia measuring about 43 feet long and weighing over one tonne.
