India, April 19 -- Vasuki indicus remains measure 10-15 metres long; could be comparable to current largest extinct snake Titanoboa

Paleontologists in India have unearthed a fearsome relic from the past - a giant predator snake estimated to be as large as the longest snake ever discovered. The fossilised remains, measuring 10-15 metres long, were found in Gujarat's Panandhro Lignite Mine in Kutch and date back a staggering 47 million years.

The new species, named Vasuki indicus after the mythical serpent associated with Lord Shiva, belonged to the now-extinct Madtsoiidae snake family. The findings by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee were published in journal Scientific Reports .

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