Replica of 60-million-year-old, 48-feet-long snake coming to Idaho Museum of Natural History in March

POCATELLO – Slithering in at 48 feet long and weighing an estimated one-and-a-half tons, a realistic replica of the world’s largest snake will be on exhibit at Idaho Museum of Natural history (IMNH) at Idaho State University (ISU) starting March 19.

Sixty million years ago, following the extinction of dinosaurs, a colossal snake related to modern boa constrictors thrived in South America’s hot tropical climate.

“Can you imagine a snake so big it could swallow a whole crocodile? I can’t wait to see this monster in Pocatello,” said Leif Tapanila, director of the Idaho Museum of Natural History.

“Titanoboa: Monster Snake” is a Smithsonian traveling exhibit. It will include a snake replica and two vertebrae casts made from the original fossils: a 17-foot-long modern green anaconda and the vertebra from Titanoboa, as the giant snake is called. Videos produced by the Smithsonian Channel tell the story of this amazing scientific discovery.

The exhibition is a collaboration between the Florida Museum of Natural History, the University of Nebraska and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. “Titanoboa” will travel to 15-cities on a national tour organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research complex, consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, nine research centers, and numerous educational and cultural programs. To learn more about the collaborating Smithsonian offices involved in this project, visit sites.si.edu and stri.si.edu.

For more information about the IMNH please visit imnh.isu.edu.