What's the world's biggest snake? Experts say it's the reticulated python, specimens of which can exceed 20 feet in length. But these big guys are pipsqueaks compared to titanoboa (titanoboa cerrejonensis). This colossal constrictor measured more than 45 feet in length and tipped the scales at a ton, Time magazine reported in 2009. That makes it the largest snake ever to have lived.
Titanoboa died out with the dinosaurs nearly 60 million years ago--good news for those who are afraid of snakes (ophidiophobes). But the giant serpent is set to make a comeback of sorts. In conjunction with an upcoming Smithsonian Channel show about titanoboa, the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. is set to display a scientifically accurate, life-sized model of the snake on March 30, according to a written statement released by the channel.
The model represents a 48-foot snake that would have tipped the scales at 3,000 pounds, according to the statement. It is based in part on a fossilized bone of titanoboa that was discovered in a Colombian coal mine in 2002. After its stint at the museum, the snake model is scheduled to make appearances at other museums across the country starting in the fall of 2013.
The two-hour program, called "Titanoboa: Monster Snake," is set to premiere on the Smithsonian Channel on Sunday, April 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.