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Feb. 06, 2009
Largest Snake
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Researchers examining a coal mine in Colombia have found the fossil remains of a species of snake that they say weighed 2500 pounds and grew to 45 feet long. And while those super-sized snakes may be enough to give some people nightmares, the presence of such a massive reptile is useful to climate scientists. 'Titanoboa,' as the new species has been named, would need to have lived in warmer temperatures. Scientists estimate that the average temperature at the time of Titanoboa would have needed to be 6 to 8 degrees warmer for the animal to survive. We'll find out more. |
Produced by Annette Heist, Senior Producer
Guests
-
Jason Head
Assistant Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Toronto Mississauga
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
FEATURED READING
Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction
by Annalee Newitz
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