National Museum of Natural History
Titanoboa: Monster Snake
March 30, 2012 – January 6, 2013
From deep underground in a Colombian coal mine, in a layer dating to 65 million years ago, scientists have uncovered remains of the largest snake in the world, Titanoboa cerrejonensis. Measuring 48 feet long and weighing in at 2,500 pounds, this massive predator could crush and devour a crocodile! Fossil plants and animals found at the site reveal the earliest known rain forest, teeming with life and dating to the Paleocene, the lost world that followed the demise of the dinosaurs. Featuring a full-scale model of Titanoboa and clips from a Smithsonian Channel documentary, the exhibition delves into the discovery, reconstruction, and implications of this enormous reptile.
The exhibition is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Florida Museum of Natural History, and University of Nebraska-Lincoln; it is circulated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).
