Global temperatures rose to an average of 28 degrees Celsius and humidity increased permitting gigantism in creatures as diverse as insects, birds and reptiles. Within a few hundred thousand years of the end of the Mesozoic, planet Earth was covered in lush rain-forest, jungle and swamps. The world slowly recovered from the catastrophes that had led to the extinction of approximately 60% of the life on Earth. The Palaeocene epoch lasted approximately 10 million years (65-55 million years ago). Fossils of one of the largest snakes known to science have just been unearthed in South America, and this new snake named Titanoboa would have probably been the apex predator in its jungle environment. However, those reptiles that had outlasted the dinosaurs also took the opportunity to exploit new environments and those places in the food chain left empty by the dinosaurs. Mammals rapidly evolved and diversified and soon all the Orders that we know today were established. With the mass extinction event that marked the end of the Mesozoic, those animals that remained, rapidly diversified and took up most of the ecosystem niches left vacant by the demise of the dinosaurs. The titanoboa’s enormous body allowed it to prey on large animals, including the ancient crocodile Acherontisuchus.Fossil Skeleton of 45-foot long Snake Discovered in South America Thus, the titanoboa was not only the largest snake in history, but also the largest vertebrate that lived on land after the death of the dinosaurs. It is nearly thirty times heavier than the anaconda, the largest species of snake alive today. Titanoboa snake estimated to weigh more than 1.3 tonnes. Reporting from National Geographic, the titanoboa is a large and powerful creature. When the young crocodile begins to mature and has a larger body, he can be safer from being targeted by the titanoboa. “Young crocodiles need to be wary of these large snakes because snakes can more easily chase young crocodiles than fish,” Hastings said. The reason is, a small crocodile is the perfect food for this giant snake.Īlso read: Why do crocodiles often open their mouths when sunbathing? This is the reason This shape of the snout is perfect for hunting large lungfish and other bonefish-like fish.Īcherontisuchus also had a skull that allowed it to quickly close its jaws to ambush passing fish.Īcherontisuchus may have been similar to modern crocodiles adapted to eating fish, such as the gharial crocodile in India.Īcherontisuchus will compete with titanoboa for food resources, but titanoboa may also be a predator. It has a long, narrow snout filled with pointed teeth. Acherontisuchus vs titanoboaĬrocodile named Acherontisuchus guajiraensis was the first land animal from the tropics of the Paleocene New World to exclusively eat fish.Īlso read: Expert Says Dinosaurs Be The Last Food Of Ancient Crocodiles Hastings said the way crocodiles have adapted to warmer temperatures could enlighten scientists on how these species are changing in response to climate change and invasive species in today’s world. “They are capable of inhabiting new territories, whereas crocodile groups, which tend to be much more remote, lack the adaptability to survive difficult times.” “To survive in these difficult times, the best means of survival is to have the ability to adapt, which is to be able to inhabit many different habitats to change areas and take advantage of resources that no one else has,” said researcher Alex Hastings of the Florida Museum of Natural History, reported by Live Science.
The giants lived in fresh water in ancient rainforest ecosystems, an adaptation that seems to have come with climate change after the extinction of the dinosaurs.Īlso read: Why did Titanoboa become extinct? The large crocodile fossil was found in a Colombian coal mine, the same area where the titanoboa fossil was found. Not the only predator in those days, the titanoboa probably lived together ancient crocodile 6 meters in a forest river in Colombia 60 million years ago. Titanoboa’s spinal fossils show that it was up to 13 meters long. – Titanoboa is the largest snake that has ever lived on Earth.