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Palaeopython

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Palaeopython
Temporal range: Eocene
Palaeopython fischeri
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Palaeopython

Rochebrune, 1880
Species
  • P. cadurcensis
  • P. ceciliensis
  • P. fischeri
  • P. sardus[1]

Palaeopython is an extinct genus of snake from the Eocene of the Messel shales, Germany. It was a tree-dwelling snake that reached more than 2 meters in length. Like its modern relatives, the boas, it occasionally dwelled on the ground or in the shallow waters close to the bank.[2]

Fossil in Vienna

References

  • Szyndlar, Zbigniew, "Oligocene snakes of southern Germany", Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Volume 14, Issue 1, 1994.
  • Ivanov, Martin, "Changes in the composition of the European snake fauna during the Early Miocene and at the Early / Middle Miocene transition", Paläontologische Zeitschrift, 74:4, pages 563-573, Springer Berlin / Heidelberg. ISSN 0031-0220.
  • Schaal, Stephan, "Messel Pit Fossil Site – The Legacy of the Environment and Life of the Eocene", in Earth and Life, Springer Netherlands, 2012. ISBN 978-90-481-3428-1.