A study of anaconda fossils shows that these <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/rare-cannibalism-in-indian-rat-snake-documented-in-maharashtras-thane-district-23594209" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">snakes</a> reached their maximum size 12.4 million years ago and then stopped growing.
Researchers examined 183 fossilised anaconda backbones collected in Falcon State, Venezuela. All these fossils belong to at least 32 distinct snakes.
<img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2025/dec/Fossils_e.jpg" alt="Some of the fossils examined. PIC COURTESY/Jorge Carrillo-Briceno " width="1280" height="720" /> Some of the fossils examined. PIC COURTESY/Jorge Carrillo-Briceno
The team calculated that the ancient snakes were four to five metres long. This is the same impressive, powerful size as the anacondas that coil through the Amazon today.
&ldquo;By measuring the fossils, we found that anacondas evolved a large body size shortly after they appeared in tropical <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/infotainment/article/ricky-cucalons-fans-finally-received-the-official-confirmation-on-his-south-america-music-tour-in-mid-2020-23198241" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">South America</a> around 12.4 million years ago, and their size hasn&rsquo;t changed since,&rdquo; said Andr&eacute;s Alfonso-Rojas, lead author.&nbsp;
It shows that the anaconda survived the climatic changes without shrinking while other large animals disappeared.
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A study of anaconda fossils shows that these snakes reached their maximum size 12.4 million years ago and then stopped growing

Study reveals anacondas reached maximum size 12.4 million years ago

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Researchers examined 183 fossilised anaconda backbones collected in Falcón State, Venezuela. All these fossils belong to at least 32 distinct snakes

Anacondas grew to peak size 12 million yrs ago

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