Gigantophis could eat large crocodiles
Gigantophis garstini was a prehistoric snake which may have measured more than 10 meters (33 feet), larger than any living species of snake. It once took the mantle of largest snake before Titanoboa, which was recently discovered in Colombia. Gigantophis lived approximately 40 million years ago in the southern Sahara where Egypt and Algeria are now situated.
Description
Discovery
Classification
Behavior
Gigantophis fed on pig-sized proboscideans, such as Moeritherium, which were distant cousins of the modern elephants. The giant snake also ate crocodiles and other large reptiles. Gigantophis would largely be an aquatic snake, hiding underwater until it was time to strike. It was a constrictor, like modern day boas and pythons. However it was related to neither of those two snake families, instead it was part of the now extinct genus Madtsoiidae.
In The Media
- Gigantophis Was Featured In The 1970 Film When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth played by a living Reticulated Python.
- It appeared in a Documentary Film David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive where It was also attacking a fiberglass model of a Moeritherium. Then it slinked away to where it came from with the arrival of dawn.
- Gigantophis appeared on the video game Fossil Fighters: Champions.
- Gigantophis appeared on Dinosaur Train as a illustration.
- Gigantophis appeared in the video game Jurassic World: The Game.
Gallery
