(You know what's happening on the East Coast, right? Not only do we have to fear drowning from rising waters, but now, there's the possibility of being consumed by huge snakes, able to eat five people in a single gulp. Consider circumstances in the Everglades in Florida where giant pythons, boas (please read below), and anacondas slide hither and thither over the swamplands taking control and eating and chasing away inhabitants. It's a coup de snakes. Soon, the Florida residents who are left will be forced to flee north, leaving no one there to vote which means our future may be determined by snakes. Hey, didn't this happen already?)
But wait, there's even more to the story which all began with a single leaf.
About ten years ago in South America was a student who visited a coal mine in La Guajira, Columbia where he discovered a fossilized leaf. This one little leaf of his strengthened scientific studies and "data-driven evidence" that helped reveal the existence of an ancient hot and tropical rainforest, maybe the first one on Earth, which thrived during a period of global warming in the Paleocene epoch. (That would be after the dinosaurs roamed, or about 60 million years ago.)
The experts, I think, are unsure of its gender, however, based upon experience and its nickname, Tyrannosnakus rush, I can say with certainty that Tyrannosnakus is a male who (which?) is going on a 15-city tour right after Titanoboa (his real name and yes, related to the boa) finishes residency at the Smithsonian early next year.
A video of this specialized beast is available for purchase, and a version screens continuously in Titanoboa's exhibition area which shows how Tyrannosnakus rush moved. Not to miss!
What: Titanoboa: The biggest snake in the world!