Madtsoiidae

Madtsoiidae is an extinct family of snakes that lived a very long time ago. These snakes were mostly found in places called Gondwana, which included areas such as South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Southern Europe. Their fossils have been found from the time of the early Cenomanian, which is part of the Upper Cretaceous period, all the way to the late Pleistocene.

Some of these snakes were very big, like Vasuki, which scientists think was at least 11 to 15 meters long—that’s about as long as a school bus! Another example is the Australian Wonambi and Yurlunggur. Like modern boas and pythons, these snakes probably caught their food by wrapping around it tightly.

Scientists are still learning about madtsoiid snakes. As they find new fossils, they are discovering that the group might not be as simple as they once thought. Some recent studies suggest that madtsoiids may not all belong to one clear family, making their classification tricky and exciting for researchers to study.

Description

Madtsoiidae was first grouped as part of another snake family but later studies showed it should be its own family. These snakes lived a long time ago and scientists think they were like modern pythons and boas, using their bodies to wrap around their prey to catch it.

These snakes came in many sizes, from smaller than one meter to over eleven meters long. We mostly know about them from their bones, but some scientists have found more complete skeletons. Some names of these ancient snakes come from stories and languages of people who lived in places where their fossils were found.

Classification

Madtsoiidae is an extinct family of snakes from long ago, mostly found in places like South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Southern Europe. These snakes lived from the time of the dinosaurs to more recent times. Some of these snakes were very long, like Vasuki, which could be at least 11–15 metres (36–49 ft) long.

Like modern snakes such as boas and pythons, these ancient snakes probably caught their prey by wrapping around it. Many different kinds of these snakes have been found, including Wonambi from Australia and Madtsoia from places like Argentina and Madagascar. Their fossils help scientists learn about life from millions of years ago.