Palaeophis

Quick Facts

• Palaeophis was a large, aquatic snake that went extinct 23-33 million years ago.
• Different species of Palaeophis ranged in size from 4-40 feet long.
• They lived in shallow seas and coastal environments, feeding on fish and other marine life – possibly even whales!
• They were similar to modern snakes but had some features that seem more primitive, such as bony plates on their heads and bodies.
• Fossils of Palaeophis have been discovered in North America, Europe, and Africa.

Palaeophis Scientific name

The scientific name for Palaeophis is Palaeophis typhaeus. The genus name Palaeophis is derived from the Greek words “palaios,” which means “ancient,” and “ophis,” which means “serpent.” The species name “typhaeus” is also derived from Greek, and means “smoke-colored.” Palaeophis typhaeus was the first species of Palaeophis to be described and named.

Description & Size

Palaeophis is an extinct type of sea snake that lived during the Eocene Epoch, approximately 56-33.9 million years ago. It is known from fossilized remains that have been found in various locations around the world, including North America, Europe, and Africa. It was a large, aquatic snake that lived in shallow seas and coastal environments. Different species of Palaeophis ranged in length from 4 to 40 feet. The largest examples would have been as long as a school bus! They likely fed on fish and other marine animals, possibly including ancient whales.

Some of the species of Palaeophis that have been identified include:

• Palaeophis africanus
• Palaeophis colberti
• Palaeophis maghrebensis
• Palaeophis africanus
• Palaeophis colberti

Based on studies of the vertebrae of this species, scientists think it had a faster metabolism and growth rate than modern snakes. Palaeophis is thought to be closely related to modern pythons and boas.

Palaeophis Evolution and History

Palaeophis lived during the Eocene Epoch, which lasted from about 56-33.9 million years ago. During this time, the earth’s climate was much warmer than it is today. Many modern plant and animal groups emerged at that time. Scientists think that Palaeophis and other early snakes evolved from land-dwelling snakes or lizards that returned to the sea and adapted to the marine environment by losing their legs and developing a long, slim body well-adapted to swimming and hunting in water.

Palaeophis fossils are found in marine sedimentary rock layers, indicating their primary habitat. They show some characteristics of modern snakes, but others that seem more primitive, such as bony plates on their heads and bodies. Palaeophis went extinct between 23-33 million years ago for unknown reasons. Modern snakes that developed after this time have been very successful, now numbering over 3,000 species found in nearly every part of the globe.

Diet – What Did Palaeophis Eat?

Researchers are not able to tell for certain from the fossil record what Palaeophis ate, but they make educated guesses based on what they know about the anatomy and behavior of other extinct and modern snakes, as well as fossils of the types of prey that were available in the Eocene Epoch. Scientists think Palaeophis was a generalist, opportunistic predator, feeding on a variety of prey including fish, marine mammals, and birds depending on what was available in its environment. It had a long, slender body that was well-suited for swimming and prey capture in water. It is likely that it used its sharp teeth and strong jaw muscles to grasp and hold onto its prey, and may have used constriction to subdue larger prey.

Habitat – When and Where It lived

Palaeophis lived between 56-33.9 million years ago during the Eocene Epoch. It lived in shallow seas and coastal environments in what is today Europe, North America, and Africa. It may have evolved from land snakes or lizards that returned to an aquatic habitat and adapted to it over millions of years.

Threats and Predators

What kinds of animals hunted Palaeophis? It’s hard to tell conclusively from the fossil record. Based upon our knowledge of what other species lived at the time, it’s a possibility they were hunted by oceanic predators like crocodilians or marine reptiles, as well as by other enormous snakes. Certainly their young could have been hunted by many carnivores before they reached a size too big to attack.

Discoveries and Fossils – Where It was Found

The first Palaeophis fossil was discovered in France in 1822 by Georges Cuvier. You can still see it today at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris. Since then, Palaeophis fossils have been discovered in Europe, North America, and Africa. From these fossils, scientists were able to figure out that these snakes could grow as long as 40 feet. One of the most complete skeletons of a Palaeophis was discovered in Morocco in 2015. This species was Palaeophis maghrebensis, and it has provided important information that has helped scientists better understand this extinct species as well as the evolution and history of modern snakes.

Extinction – When Did It Die Out?

It’s unclear exactly when and why Palaeophis became extinct. There just aren’t enough of them in the fossil record to say for sure. The best guess of the experts is that they went extinct during the Oligocene Epoch, which lasted from about 33.9 to 23 million years ago. They may have been simply unable to compete with more advanced kinds of snakes that evolved at that time. Another explanation is that they were affected by environmental changes that they could not adapt to. Hopefully, further fossil discoveries in the future will give us a clearer picture of what happened to these animals.

Similar Animals to the Palaeophis

• Palaeophis colossaeus – This species grew up to 40 feet long and may have eaten primitive whales as a part of its diet.
• Basilosaurus – This was a large, aquatic mammal that lived during the Eocene epoch. Basilosaurus was a primitive whale with a long, slender body that was well-suited for swimming and prey capture in water.
• Titanoboa – an extinct genus of giant snakes who were more than 40 feet in length and up to 3 feet at its widest point.

Related Animals

• Python
• Boas
• Anaconda