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Snake Supreme

Short answer: Titanoboa cerrejonensis was a giant boid snake, a relative of today's boas and anacondas. Its fossils come from the Cerrejón coal mine in northeastern Colombia, in rocks 58 to 60 million years old, from the oldest known neotropical rainforest.

Describing it in Nature in 2009, Jason Head and colleagues estimated it at about 13 m (43 ft) long and 1,135 kg. They also argued that a cold-blooded snake that size needed a mean annual temperature of about 30 to 34 °C. Later estimates run from about 12.8 to 14.3 m. In 2024, Vasuki indicus, a madtsoiid snake from India about 47 million years old, was estimated at 10.9 to 15.2 m. That makes it a possible rival, though Titanoboa's vertebrae are slightly larger.

VideoWrite-up4 sources
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What should you know about Snake Supreme?

Quick facts. Each one stands alone and has a stable ID you can cite.

  1. Head et al. (2009) estimated Titanoboa at about 13 m and 1,135 kg.

    DD-694-F01 · Write-up · Exhibit B (How big)

  2. Vasuki indicus, described in 2024, may rival Titanoboa in length.

    DD-694-F02 · Write-up · Exhibit E (A new rival)

Video transcript: Snake Supreme: A Snake as Long as a Bus

DID YOU KNOW? Titanoboa was an enormous prehistoric snake that lived about 58-60 million years ago, in what is now Colombia, thriving in the hot, swampy forests that formed after the dinosaurs went extinct. Reaching an estimated 42-50 ft in length and weighing over a ton, it was the largest snake ever known, with a body so thick it could rival an oil drum. NOW YOU KNOW!

Burned-in captions, read frame by frame (see transcript.md) · 19.7s Reel ·

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Snake Supreme: A Snake as Long as a Bus Instagram Reel · · 19.7s

The write-up

A snake as long as a bus. Titanoboa lived in Colombia about 60 million years ago.

  1. Exhibit A

    Found in a coal mine

    Titanoboa's vertebrae came from the Cerrejón Formation in La Guajira, Colombia, which preserves the oldest known neotropical rainforest fauna, 58 to 60 million years old.

  2. Exhibit B

    How big

    Head et al. estimated about 13 m long and 1,135 kg from vertebra size. Later estimates range from about 12.8 to 14.3 m. The Reel's 50 ft (15 m) upper figure is on the high side.

  3. Exhibit C

    A climate thermometer

    Because snakes depend on outside heat, the authors argued that a snake that size needed a mean annual temperature of about 30 to 34 °C, evidence of a hotter Paleocene tropics.

  4. Exhibit D

    Anaconda-like life

    The rocks and the animals found with it point to a swampy, river-rich habitat. Titanoboa probably lived like an anaconda and ate fish and crocodilians.

  5. Exhibit E

    A new rival

    In 2024, Vasuki indicus from Gujarat, India, was estimated at 10.9 to 15.2 m. Its upper estimate exceeds Titanoboa's, but its vertebrae are slightly smaller, and neither skeleton is complete.

Questions people ask about Snake Supreme

Where were Titanoboa's fossils found?

The Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Found in a coal mine) · Head et al. (2009), Giant boid snake from the Palaeocene neotropics reveals hotter past equatorial temperatures, Nature

What length did Head et al. (2009) estimate?

About 13 m (43 ft).

Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (How big) · Head et al. (2009), Giant boid snake from the Palaeocene neotropics reveals hotter past equatorial temperatures, Nature; New Scientist (2024): Fossil snake discovered in India may have been the largest ever

Which living snakes is Titanoboa related to?

It was a boid snake.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Found in a coal mine) · Head et al. (2009), Giant boid snake from the Palaeocene neotropics reveals hotter past equatorial temperatures, Nature

Which 2024 fossil snake may rival it?

Vasuki indicus, from India.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (A new rival) · Datta & Bajpai (2024), Largest known madtsoiid snake from warm Eocene period of India, Scientific Reports; New Scientist (2024): Fossil snake discovered in India may have been the largest ever; The Guardian (Apr 18, 2024): Fossil of 'largest snake to have ever existed' found in western India

What does its size suggest about the ancient tropics?

A mean annual temperature of about 30-34 °C.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (A climate thermometer) · Head et al. (2009), Giant boid snake from the Palaeocene neotropics reveals hotter past equatorial temperatures, Nature

Test Your Knowledge

All quizzes →

5 questions, all from this case file. Answers are revealed instantly.

  1. Where were Titanoboa's fossils found?

    1. A coal mine in Colombia
    2. A desert in Egypt
    3. A cave in China
    4. A glacier in Canada
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. A coal mine in Colombia The Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Found in a coal mine) · Head et al. (2009), Giant boid snake from the Palaeocene neotropics reveals hotter past equatorial temperatures, Nature

  2. What length did Head et al. (2009) estimate?

    1. About 5 m
    2. About 13 m
    3. About 25 m
    4. About 40 m
    Show the answer

    Answer: B. About 13 m About 13 m (43 ft). Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (How big) · Head et al. (2009), Giant boid snake from the Palaeocene neotropics reveals hotter past equatorial temperatures, Nature; New Scientist (2024): Fossil snake discovered in India may have been the largest ever

  3. Which living snakes is Titanoboa related to?

    1. Boas and anacondas
    2. Cobras
    3. Vipers
    4. Sea snakes
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Boas and anacondas It was a boid snake. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Found in a coal mine) · Head et al. (2009), Giant boid snake from the Palaeocene neotropics reveals hotter past equatorial temperatures, Nature

  4. Which 2024 fossil snake may rival it?

    1. Vasuki indicus
    2. Gigantophis
    3. Python regius
    4. Naja naja
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Vasuki indicus Vasuki indicus, from India. Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (A new rival) · Datta & Bajpai (2024), Largest known madtsoiid snake from warm Eocene period of India, Scientific Reports; New Scientist (2024): Fossil snake discovered in India may have been the largest ever; The Guardian (Apr 18, 2024): Fossil of 'largest snake to have ever existed' found in western India

  5. What does its size suggest about the ancient tropics?

    1. They were hotter than today
    2. They were frozen
    3. They were deserts
    4. They were the same as today
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. They were hotter than today A mean annual temperature of about 30-34 °C. Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (A climate thermometer) · Head et al. (2009), Giant boid snake from the Palaeocene neotropics reveals hotter past equatorial temperatures, Nature

Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Snake Supreme." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-694, last updated Jan 16, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/snake-supreme/

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