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Sanajeh

Recreation of the fossil site
When we talk about extinct, prehistoric reptiles, we are usually talking about the Dinosaurs, but they definitely weren't the only scaly creatures crawling around millions of years ago. Today's animals, Sanajeh indicus was a species of snake that not only lived with the dinosaurs.... it actually ate their children.

Snakes first appeared around 98 million years ago, but the fossils from that long ago are few, fragmented, and are typically just scattered vertebrae. Not so with the 67 million year old Sanajeh. The holotype specimen (the fossil to which all other fossils of the species are compared) actually has a near complete skull and lower jaw, along with several segmented sections of vertebrae.

What is even more awesome, however, is the way in which the fossil was found- it's coiled around a Dinosaur nest, complete with baby Dinosaur! After study of the fossil, which was found in India, it was determined that the Snake was in the process of hunting when it, and the nest of three eggs and a baby, were caught unaware by a deposit of sediment. Landslide perhaps? When an additional Snake fossil was found, also within nest proximity, Sanajeh's status as an eater of mini-Dinos was cemented!
Status : Extinct for 67 million years
Location : India
Size : Length 11ft (3.5m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata -- Suborder : Serpentes
Family : †Madtsoiidae -- Genus : †Sanajeh -- Species : †S. indicus
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Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 6, 2011 at 4:12 PM

    i love this site! i wish more people would comment

    ReplyDelete
  2. Susan RentalsDecember 7, 2011 at 2:54 AM

    I did not know that snakes' apperance on the world dates from 98 million years ago. I mean I have read the Bible and can say it was way earlier in time. :)The information about Sanajeh indicus species is also something new and interesting for me. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  3. LaurenDecember 7, 2011 at 8:18 AM

    "i love this site! i wish more people would comment"

    I'd love that too! It's always nice to interact with readers :)

    ReplyDelete

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