The latest issue of the journal Nature presents a report on the recently found fossilised remains of the world’s largest snake, which was about 42 feet long (13 m) and weighed more than a tone.

The discovery was made at Cerrejon, Colombia, which is one of the world’s biggest open-pit coal mines and the snake was named Titanoboa cerrejonensis by the researchers involved in the research. Even though the animal was identified as a relative of the modern boa constrictors, it used to spend a significant amount of time in the waterlike an anaconda and its home was set in the warm rainforests around 58 to 60 million years ago.

Lead researcher Dr Jason Head, from the University of Toronto, said: "The discovery of Titanoboa challenges our understanding of past climates and environments, as well as the biological limitations on the evolution of giant snakes." He also added that "This shows how much more information about the history of Earth there is to glean from a resource like the reptile fossil record."

Even though none of the fossil’s ribs are complete, the scientists managed to estimate the size and weight of the animal by comparing the pieces found to today’s snakes. "At its greatest width, the snake would have come up to about your hips. The size is pretty amazing," said co-author P David Polly, from Indiana University in Bloomington, US.
 
There have been found close to 180 fossils from more than 20 snakes in the area and the plan now is to return and continue the search for the skulls.