| Laophis | |
|---|---|
| |
| A restored sketch sheet of Laophis crotaloides | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Subclass: | Vertebrata |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Viperidae |
| Genus: | †Laophis Owen, 1857 |
| Species: | †L. crotaloides |
| Binomial name | |
| †Laophis crotaloides Owen, 1857 | |
Laophis (meaning from Ancient Greek, People's snake) was a genus of viperid snake that lived during the Pliocene in Northern Greece. Few fossil vertebrae of this species was found in Thessaloniki , Greece. It reached a total length of 3-4 m (10-13 ft), making this perhaps the largest venomous snake discovered yet. Originally described by Sir Richard Owen, the original fossils had been lost, until rediscovery of a single vertebra was discovered somewhere near Thessaloniki in 2014.