We all know that the blue whale is currently known to be the largest animal in the world, with a body length of up to 30 meters, which is equivalent to the length of a Boeing 737 aircraft, and weighs up to 200 tons, which is about 20 times the weight of a Tyrannosaurus rex. However, you may not know that there was once a creature on Earth that was even more terrifying than the blue whale, and it was the Titan Monty Python, a giant snake 15 meters long and more than a ton. How was it born? And how did it become extinct?
The birth of the Titan Monty Python dates back to the Eocene epoch 55 million years ago. At that time, the Earth had just experienced a catastrophic asteroid impact, which led to the extinction of the dinosaurs and freed up a large number of ecological niches. Mammals and reptiles began a new competition, gradually evolving into a wide variety of species. However, it was at this time that the Earth was subjected to another unprecedented climate change, a global warming phenomenon known as the Eocene Extreme Thermal Event.
The cause of the Eocene hyperthermic event has not yet been determined, some say that volcanic activity in the Earth's interior increased, some say that the Earth's orbit changes, some say that the solar activity is abnormal, and some say that the combustible ice on the Earth releases large amounts of methane. Whatever the reason, the result was the same, with temperatures on Earth soaring by 5-8 degrees in a short period of time, reaching the highest level in history. This is undoubtedly a disaster for the creatures on the earth.
Especially for larger mammals, their thermostatic mechanism cannot adapt to this high temperature, and the internal heat cannot be quickly dissipated, and they are killed by heat. What survives are small species that regulate their body temperature by moulting, sweating, etc.
For cold-blooded reptiles, this high temperature is a boon, as they can draw more energy from the outside world, increase the activity of enzymes in the body, and speed up growth and metabolism. In this extreme ecological environment, some reptiles began to grow rapidly in size, and gradually evolved some giant species, such as a coal turtle the size of a car, a forest crocodile larger than an SUV, a Styx crocodile, and so on. And the most terrifying of them is the Titan Python.
The Titan Mont Python is a type of python, and its ancestor is a snake called the Para Python, which was about 3-4 meters long before it evolved. Under the influence of the Eocene extreme heat event, the paraboa began to evolve rapidly, and it became larger, stronger, and more ferocious.
Its diet has also changed from small mammals, to large crocodiles, and even cetaceans. Its territory has also expanded from the Amazon rainforest in South America to the Florida swamps in North America. It became the largest snake on the earth at that time, and it was also the first batch of fast-rising overlords after the dinosaurs. I don't know if it's a coincidence, the ultimate rulers of the earth during that time were all "dragons".
However, the Titan Python's glory did not last long, and the extreme climatic conditions led to the collapse of the ecosystem, and the food for many Titan Pythons gradually decreased, and survival became more and more difficult. At the same time, other biological populations have been affected, with increased competitive pressures and scarce resources.
Despite its large body, the amount of food it needs to survive is also staggering. In resource-scarce environments, they have to constantly migrate in search of food, which is a challenging task for a reptile of this size. Many titan pythons die during their migration, and their populations have declined dramatically.
In addition to the scarcity of resources, the continuous warming of the earth's climate also directly affects the survival of the titan python. Its massive body is more difficult to dissipate heat in the heat, causing its body temperature to continue to rise until it becomes unbearable. Many Titan pythons died in the heat of the environment. With the decline and extinction of the titan python population, this giant python can no longer be found on earth.
Although the Titan Python once dominated the ecosystem for a period of time as a giant reptile, it eventually became extinct as the environment changed. It also reminds us that all biological populations on Earth are closely related to the environment, and when the environment changes drastically, it often leads to the inability of many species to adapt and become extinct. Therefore, it is particularly important to protect the environment and maintain ecological balance, which is not only related to our own survival, but also related to the future of every living thing on the earth.