122:
978:
389:, it would have also encountered problems while burrowing due to its large size. Most head-first burrowers are very small, with heads that have a small diameter to allow them to push through soil more easily. While most living head-first burrowers are less than 1 centimetre (0.39 in) in diameter,
377:
also has a highly fused basicranium, but its snout is unspecialized and unsuitable for digging. Moreover, its large body size would have made it difficult to burrow through compact soils. This indicates that ancestral fossorial characteristics can be retained even if the snake was not fossorial.
332:, burrowing with its head. Evidence of a fossorial lifestyle can be found in its braincase, as the bones of the basicranium are highly fused to withstand stresses from burrowing. This degree of fusion is otherwise only seen in
352:, which is the first vertebra of the spine closest to the head, may show adaptations toward structural integrity under loads that would be encountered during tunnel excavation. The
465:
Laduke, T.C.; Krause, D.W.; Scanlon, J.D. & Kley, N.J. (2010). "A Late
Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) snake assemblage from the Maevarano Formation, Mahajanga Basin, Madagascar".
393:
could have exceeded 7 centimetres (2.8 in) in diameter, with a cross-sectional area even larger than living burrowers because of an increase in size according to a
1060:
401:
may have required significantly greater force to push through compact sediment, with the force possibly being ineffective or impossible to generate.
1047:
528:
1119:
495:
371:
was not a powerful burrower, and that the burrowing characteristics were retained from a burrowing ancestor. The related madtsoiid
425:
521:
1114:
998:
993:
920:
121:
1124:
1015:
514:
1086:
501:
408:
probably consisted of prey ranging in mass from 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) to 5 kilograms (11 lb).
344:
snakes, all of which are highly specialized burrowers. The vertebrae are depressed and have very low
211:
960:
859:
310:
818:
804:
733:
852:
790:
762:
394:
314:
116:
1091:
1073:
1065:
361:
360:, strengthening the anterior atlantal cotyle, a cup-like depression that articulates with the
1078:
811:
474:
349:
282:
30:
988:
708:
609:
417:
1108:
982:
951:
870:
783:
416:
that are also known from the
Maevarano Formation, and probably could not prey on any
306:
68:
893:
797:
639:
345:
337:
286:
239:
940:
879:
776:
694:
666:
659:
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353:
341:
271:
186:
43:
1038:
886:
843:
832:
722:
632:
625:
618:
478:
421:
373:
278:
88:
53:
825:
742:
329:
302:
133:
93:
37:
1032:
931:
687:
673:
577:
561:
413:
357:
333:
294:
173:
153:
83:
78:
63:
58:
48:
1052:
913:
715:
701:
569:
219:
163:
98:
73:
769:
753:
598:
589:
553:
434:
430:
143:
1009:
904:
539:
274:
267:
506:
1013:
510:
298:
328:
was around 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) long and was probably
412:
would not have been able to consume any of the nonavian
1022:
950:
930:
903:
869:
842:
752:
732:
649:
608:
587:
348:similar to those of living burrowing snakes. The
522:
8:
367:Despite these features, it is possible that
1010:
529:
515:
507:
20:
397:(the square of the diameter). Therefore,
460:
458:
456:
454:
452:
450:
429:. It most likely fed on smaller snakes,
446:
7:
404:Due to its small size, the diet of
467:Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
14:
301:fragments as well as part of the
976:
120:
385:is less than half the size of
356:of the atlas are fused to the
1:
1120:Fossil taxa described in 2010
588:Genera with hindlimbs and a
426:Araripesuchus tsangatsangana
1141:
999:Category:Cretaceous snakes
994:List of Serpentes families
420:with the exception of the
970:
921:Vipera latastei ebusitana
547:
479:10.1080/02724630903409188
305:have been found from the
225:
218:
117:Scientific classification
115:
23:
16:Extinct genus of snakes
1087:Paleobiology Database
502:Paleobiology Database
961:Psammophis odysseus
311:Maevarano Formation
853:Liasis dubudingala
763:Boa blanchardensis
395:quadratic function
1115:Cretaceous snakes
1102:
1101:
1074:Open Tree of Life
1016:Taxon identifiers
1007:
1006:
983:Snakes portal
362:occipital condyle
291:Menarana nosymena
277:which existed in
259:
258:
253:
243:
214:
1132:
1095:
1094:
1082:
1081:
1069:
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1056:
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981:
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185:
125:
124:
110:
40:
29:Temporal range:
21:
1140:
1139:
1135:
1134:
1133:
1131:
1130:
1129:
1125:Maevarano fauna
1105:
1104:
1103:
1098:
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1085:
1077:
1072:
1064:
1059:
1051:
1046:
1037:
1036:
1031:
1018:
1008:
1003:
977:
975:
966:
946:
926:
899:
865:
838:
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645:
604:
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576:
568:
560:
552:
543:
538:
535:
492:
487:
486:
464:
463:
448:
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418:crocodylomorphs
323:
315:Mahajanga Basin
283:Late Cretaceous
204:
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109:
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106:
101:
96:
91:
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81:
76:
71:
66:
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56:
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35:
34:
31:Late Cretaceous
27:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1138:
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1057:
1044:
1028:
1026:
1020:
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1005:
1004:
1002:
1001:
996:
991:
989:List of snakes
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766:
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677:
670:
663:
655:
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647:
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644:
643:
636:
629:
622:
614:
612:
610:Simoliophiidae
606:
605:
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602:
594:
592:
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581:
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548:
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511:
505:
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491:
490:External links
488:
485:
484:
473:(1): 109β138.
445:
444:
442:
439:
364:of the skull.
338:amphisbaenians
322:
319:
266:is an extinct
257:
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952:Psammophiidae
949:
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871:Palaeophiidae
868:
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860:Messelopython
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835:
834:
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784:Eoconstrictor
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365:
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354:neural arches
351:
347:
346:neural spines
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312:
308:
307:Maastrichtian
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60:
55:
50:
45:
39:
32:
26:
22:
19:
1023:
974:
959:
939:
919:
912:
894:Pterosphenus
892:
885:
878:
858:
851:
831:
824:
819:Rieppelophis
817:
810:
805:Phosphoroboa
803:
798:Palaeopython
796:
789:
782:
775:
768:
761:
741:
734:Dinilysiidae
721:
714:
707:
700:
693:
686:
680:
679:
672:
665:
658:
640:Pachyrhachis
638:
631:
624:
617:
597:
496:
470:
466:
433:, and small
424:
409:
405:
403:
398:
390:
386:
382:
380:
372:
368:
366:
358:intercentrum
325:
324:
321:Paleobiology
290:
287:type species
262:
261:
260:
248:M. laurasiae
247:
246:
235:
229:
228:
207:
200:
199:
24:
18:
941:Naja romani
880:Archaeophis
791:Messelophis
777:Chubutophis
695:Powellophis
667:Gigantophis
660:Alamitophis
651:Madtsoiidae
422:notosuchian
303:basicranium
281:during the
230:M. nosymena
187:Madtsoiidae
36:70β66
1109:Categories
887:Palaeophis
844:Pythonidae
833:Waincophis
723:Yurlunggur
633:Pachyophis
626:Haasiophis
619:Eupodophis
570:Sauropsida
441:References
387:Yurlunggur
374:Yurlunggur
334:caecilians
293:. Several
279:Madagascar
252:Rage, 1996
905:Viperidae
826:Titanoboa
743:Dinilysia
551:Kingdom:
414:dinosaurs
342:uropeltid
330:fossorial
295:vertebrae
272:madtsoiid
140:Kingdom:
134:Eukaryota
1039:Q6816464
1033:Wikidata
1024:Menarana
932:Elapidae
688:Nidophis
681:Menarana
674:Madtsoia
578:Squamata
562:Chordata
559:Phylum:
554:Animalia
497:Menarana
410:Menarana
406:Menarana
399:Menarana
391:Menarana
383:Menarana
369:Menarana
326:Menarana
263:Menarana
238:, 2010 (
201:Menarana
180:Family:
174:Squamata
164:Reptilia
154:Chordata
150:Phylum:
144:Animalia
130:Domain:
25:Menarana
1079:6157945
1066:1475037
1053:8685793
914:Laophis
812:Rageryx
716:Wonambi
702:Sanajeh
575:Order:
567:Class:
537:Fossil
500:in the
435:mammals
431:lizards
313:in the
234:Laduke
220:Species
206:Laduke
193:Genus:
170:Order:
160:Class:
105:↓
1092:168589
770:Boavus
754:Boidae
709:Vasuki
599:Najash
590:sacrum
540:snakes
381:While
340:, and
285:. The
236:et al.
208:et al.
1061:IRMNG
350:atlas
309:-age
275:snake
268:genus
1048:GBIF
297:and
240:type
212:2010
44:Preκ
475:doi
299:rib
289:is
270:of
1111::
1089::
1076::
1063::
1050::
1035::
471:30
469:.
449:^
437:.
336:,
317:.
210:,
94:Pg
38:Ma
33:,
530:e
523:t
516:v
481:.
477::
242:)
197:β
184:β
99:N
89:K
84:J
79:T
74:P
69:C
64:D
59:S
54:O
49:κ
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