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Titanboa (Titanboa cerrejonensis)

Researchers in Colombia have found fossils of an ancient snake 42-45 feet long, that weighed more than a ton. This huge species of snake, named Titanboa cerrejonensis, lived 58 to 60 million years ago in a warm rainforest setting. So far, fossils from about 24 individual snakes have been discovered. The quest for a Titanboa skull is still underway.

The size of this snake tells scientists a lot about its environment and may unlock clues about our own global warming. Snakes grow larger in environments with warmer temperatures. In Titanboa’s time, our planet was warmer overall than it is today, and so was Titanboa’s home along the equator.

Some scientists believe that Titanboa is proof that temperatures at the equator will increase as much as the rest of the world’s temperatures, suggesting greater global warming than some scientists have predicted.

Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni)

A New Zealand fishing crew was pulling up its catch in Antarctica when it found a Colossal Squid feeding on a Patagonian Toothfish caught on the fishing line, the likes of which have never been seen before. The captain and crew moved quickly to pull the squid onboard.

Until now, only a few partial Colossal Squid specimens have been recovered from fishing lines and the stomachs of sperm whales. There was no way to tell how big they were or what they looked like.

This particular Colossal Squid recovered in Antarctic waters measures 26 feet long and it is only two thirds its adult length! It is believed that full grown, a Colossal Squid could reach over 40 feet long. Its size and clawed tenacles make it an excellent deep water predator.

The specimen was discovered in February of 2007 and is now on display in New Zealand’s Te Papa Museum.