In Colombia, paleontologists discovered fossils of Titanoboa cerrejonensis, the largest snake ever to live on Earth. This 13 meter reptile weighed about 1140 kilograms and lived in South America about 60 million years ago, soon after the dinosaurs disappeared. Researchers believe its giant size was due to a very warm ancient climate, and the snake was likely aquatic and rarely came ashore.

A joint expedition of Canadian, American, and Colombian paleontologists discovered in Colombia the fossils of a creature considered the largest snake ever to have lived. It was named Titanoboa cerrejonensis, which means the titanic boa from Cerrejon, the coal mine where the remains were found.
Apparently, this snake, which lived in South America about 60 million years ago (immediately after the dinosaurs disappeared), is the largest ever to have inhabited our planet.
Such an ancient inhabitant of the tropical forests could, without any problems, eat a human and with minimal effort swallow an adult bull, although neither the first nor the second was part of the snake’s diet.
Titanoboa was 13 meters long, weighed 1,140 kilograms, and the width of its massive body reached one meter. In its external structure, the fossil reptile differs from modern snakes, even if size differences are not taken into account. Titanoboa cerrejonensis had a greater bone density than modern snakes.
American scientists drew attention to the fact that over the past 10-15 years, the remains of giant crocodiles, turtles, and even worms have also been found in South America. Specialists say that such unusual gigantomania is a direct consequence of the characteristics of the ancient climate. 60 million years ago, the climate on Earth was significantly warmer than it is now, and an average temperature of 35 degrees Celsius was the norm. Therefore, giant reptiles and reptiles lived in conditions of perpetual heat.
"Abnormal size is a sign that temperatures along the equator and tropical belts were very high. The larger the animals became, the more energy they needed. Since they obtained this energy from external sources, they became larger, and the more energy they needed for growth. It is worth remembering that snakes are cold-blooded animals, so they do not produce their own heat," the scientists said.
Regarding the 13-meter snake found, the scientists say that it was most likely marine, and it came onto land extremely rarely.