Gujarat Scientists Find Crocodile Skeleton. But It Was Something Else...

New Delhi: In 2005 a fossil was found in Gujarat which was believed to be that of a giant crocodile, but the recent discovery suggests that it was one of the largest snakes ever found in the world. The researcher suggested that the 'Vasuki Indicus' discovered by the scientists of IIT Roorkee that this fossil can provide a lot of information about the process of evolution. 

According to the research, 47 crore years ago a huge snake, one of the longest snakes, which can grow up to 6 meters (20 feet), roamed in India. The scientific name of this huge creature is Vasuki Indicus, which is named after the mythological snake wrapped around the neck of Lord Shiva. This research was published in the journal 'Scientific Reports' on Thursday.

Following the research, the report has been published by the two authors working at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttarakhand. They analyzed 27 fossilized skeletal bones, some of which were still fused. In 2005, these bones were found in a coal mine in Gujarat. Initially, the team thought that these bones belonged to a very old crocodile-like creature. But in 2023 research, the scientists removed dirt from these fossils, they came to know that the fossil was a large snake.

Know About  'Vasuki Snake'

Based on the fossils found, scientists reported that this snake would have been 10.9 meters (36 feet) to 15.2 meters (50 feet) long. The body of this snake was wide and cylindrical because it was big which resulted less chances for it to climb trees. The author informed us that the height cannot be suggested yet, since the complete skeleton has not been found.