Titanoboa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Titanoboa |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Titanoboa dorsal vertebra in the José Royo y Gómez National Geological Museum, Bogotá | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Titanoboa
|
| Species: |
cerrejonensis
|
Titanoboa (meaning "titanic boa") is an extinct type of giant boa constrictor snake. It lived in what is now La Guajira, Colombia, about 60 to 58 million years ago. This was during a time called the Paleocene epoch.
Scientists first found Titanoboa in the 2000s. Students from the University of Florida and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute found 186 fossils of this huge snake. In 2009, it was officially named Titanoboa cerrejonensis. It is known as the largest snake ever discovered! At first, only backbones and ribs were found. Later, parts of its skull and teeth were also discovered. Titanoboa belongs to the same family as modern boas and anacondas.
These amazing snakes could grow up to 12.8 meters (about 42 feet) long. Some might have even reached 14.3 meters (about 47 feet)! They could weigh between 730 and 1,135 kilograms (about 1,600 to 2,500 pounds). The discovery of Titanoboa cerrejonensis meant it was bigger than the previous record holder, Gigantophis. Titanoboa appeared after all the non-bird dinosaurs died out. It was one of the largest reptiles to evolve after the Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction event.
Contents
History and Naming
In 2002, a team from the University of Florida and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute went on an expedition. They explored coal mines in Cerrejón, La Guajira. There, students Jonathon Bloch and Carlos Jaramillo found large backbones and ribs. These bones belonged to a huge snake.
More fossils were found during the expedition, which lasted until 2004. In total, 186 fossils from 30 different snakes were discovered. At first, some of these fossils were mistakenly thought to be from crocodiles. They were found with other giant reptile fossils, like turtles and crocodiles. These fossils came from the Cerrejón Formation. They date back to the mid-to-late Paleocene epoch, about 60-58 million years ago. This was right after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.
Before this discovery, not many fossils of animals from the Paleocene had been found in ancient tropical areas of South America. The Titanoboa fossils were taken to the Florida Museum of Natural History. An international team of scientists studied them. In 2009, they described the snake bones as a new, giant boa. They named it Titanoboa cerrejonensis. The name "Titanoboa" comes from the Greek word "Titan," meaning giant, and "Boa," which is a type of snake. The species name "cerrejonensis" refers to the Cerrejón region where it was found.
Another expedition to Cerrejón in 2011 found even more Titanoboa fossils. This time, they found three separate skulls of Titanoboa. This was very important because it's rare to find skull bones from fossil snakes. These skulls helped scientists learn more about the snake. A documentary called Titanoboa: Monster Snake was released in 2012. There was also a traveling exhibit about the snake from 2013 to 2018.
What Did Titanoboa Look Like?
How Big Was Titanoboa?
Titanoboa is the largest snake ever found based on the size of its backbones. Modern constrictor snakes, like boas and pythons, get bigger by having larger backbones, not more of them. This allows scientists to guess the total length of the snake from just a few bones.
Scientists compared Titanoboa's backbones to those of modern boas. They estimated its total body length to be about 12.82 meters (about 42 feet). Later, when skull parts were found, they used the skull size to estimate length. By comparing it to anacondas, they estimated a length of around 14.3 meters (about 47 feet).
To figure out its weight, scientists compared Titanoboa to modern green anacondas and southern rock pythons. They estimated its weight to be between 652 kg (1,437 lbs) and 1,819 kg (4,010 lbs). The average estimate was 1,135 kg (2,502 lbs). These numbers are much bigger than any modern snake, like the green anaconda or the reticulated python. They also beat the previous record holder, Gigantophis.
Anatomy
Many Titanoboa fossils are not complete. Most of what we have are backbones from the middle part of its body. These backbones look like those of other boas. However, Titanoboa's backbones are very strong and have a unique T-shape on top. They also have smaller holes (called foramina) on their sides compared to other boas.
The skull of Titanoboa has only been briefly described. It seems to have many teeth on its palate (roof of the mouth) and along its jaw. The bones in its skull that connect to the jaw are set at a low angle. Also, its teeth were not very strongly attached to the jawbone. These features are different from other boas.
Where Did Titanoboa Live?
Habitat
During the Paleocene, the area now known as Cerrejón was very warm and humid. It was a coastal plain covered by wet tropical forests. There were also large river systems. These rivers were home to many freshwater animals.
Other reptiles lived alongside Titanoboa. These included three different types of dyrosaurs. Dyrosaurs were crocodile-like creatures that survived the KPG extinction event. Some were large with slender snouts, like Acherontisuchus. Others were medium-sized with broad heads, like Anthracosuchus. There was also a smaller one called Cerrejonisuchus. Giant turtles also lived in these wetlands, such as Cerrejonemys and Carbonemys.
The rainforests of the Cerrejón Formation were similar to modern tropical forests in terms of the types of plants. However, these Paleocene forests had fewer species of plants. This low diversity was likely because of the mass extinction that happened just before this time. Plants found in these ancient forests included the floating fern Salvinia and various types of ginger and arum plants.
What Did Titanoboa Eat?
At first, scientists thought Titanoboa acted like a modern anaconda. They believed it might have eaten the large crocodiles that lived in the same area. However, later studies of its skull changed this idea.
The skull of Titanoboa shows it was likely specialized in eating fish. Its palate (roof of the mouth), tooth count, and tooth shape were all adapted for a fish diet. These adaptations are not seen in other boas. But they are similar to those in modern snakes that eat fish. The many rivers in Paleocene Colombia would have provided plenty of fish. Fossils of fish, like lungfish and osteoglossomorphs, have also been found in the same rock formation.
See also
In Spanish: Titanoboa para niños
