Remarkably old fossils of the Vasuki Snake have been discovered in the ancient regions of Kutch, Gujarat. This snake was thought to be the biggest snake in the world, bigger than the massive T. Rex dinosaur from the Jurassic period and even larger than the anaconda. The Panandhro Lignite Mine in Kutch is where the fossilized remnants of the Vasuki Snake were found. This is the same serpent that is frequently described in mythology as churning the seas and helping Mount Mandara rotate in order to extract components that are essential, such as poison (Vish) and the elixir of immortality (Amrit).
From this mine, researchers have discovered 27 pieces of the Vasuki Snake's vertebral column, officially known as Vasuki Indicus. Its size was similar to that of modern anacondas, according to a study by paleontologist Debajit Datta of IIT Roorkee that was published in the Journal Scientific Reports. It is thought that the Vasuki Snake lacked venom, though. Debajit proposed that although it moved slowly, it was a strong predator that could tame its victims in a manner similar to that of crocodiles and anacondas. However, their population declined as global temperatures rose.
In Hindu mythology, the serpent monarch Vasuki Snake is frequently connected to Lord Shiva. It is thought to have been an old adversary of Titanoboa, whose bones were found in a Colombian coal mine in 2009. Titanoboa was around 42 feet long and weighed approximately 1100 kg. Vasuki Snake's discoverer, Sunil Bajpai, noted that while the snake's spinal bones were different from Titanoboa's, its size may be comparable.
This serpent lived in the Cenozoic Era, which ended the dinosaur era about 66 million years ago. At least 17 inches of width are indicated by the largest vertebral column part of the Vasuki Snake that has been found, which is around 4.5 inches wide. Although its skull is still mysterious, study is still being conducted to learn more about its diet. It is possible that it fed on huge mammals similar to modern crocodiles.
The area has yielded numerous fossils of turtles and crocodiles, suggesting a varied environment at the time. The Madtsoiidae family, of which the Vasuki Snake was a member, flourished on Earth approximately 90 million years ago before going extinct 12,000 years ago. From India, these snakes spread to Northern Africa and Southern Eurasia. The Indian subcontinent was created approximately 50 million years ago as a result of the collision of Eurasia and Asia.
In conclusion, the finding of fossilized Vasuki Snakes in Kutch illuminates the region's rich prehistoric biodiversity and offers priceless new perspectives on the extinct ecosystems and amazing animals that formerly inhabited the planet.
