Google Map Reveals the Skeletal Remains of an Extinct Giant Snake that Turned Out to be a Piece of Art

According to britannica.com, Titanoboa is an extinct snake that lived 66 million to 56 million years ago. It measured a mind-numbing 42.7 feet (13 meters)! This reptile would have remained a mere piece of information in the said knowledge portal but for the fact that people were able to actually view its skeletal remains on the coast on Google maps!

Found on the west coast of France, this skeleton was believed to be that of the famed Titanoboa. Although the Titanoboa size depicted by its skeletal remains appeared much bigger than the documented one, the mere fact of its discovery did create a buzz on social media.

The aerial picture of the Titanoboa skeleton was first shared on a TikTok account called @googlemapsfun. This account shares videos of unusual things found while browsing Google Maps. This skeleton would not have been apparent from the earth but could be easily made out from the satellite pictures on Google Maps.

The website indy100.com states, “Somewhere in France, we can see something giant you can only see with satellites, hidden on Google Earth. Users believe this to be a giant snake. It’s about 98.4 feet (30 meters) long and bigger than any snake caught before.” The account deduced this to be the extinct Titanoboa. For something this astounding, it was not surprising to find its video going viral with over two million views, 70,000 likes, and hundreds of comments on various social media platforms.

This video also started a debate among viewers. Although most viewers were overawed or dumbstruck, some declared it a mere hoax and quickly disproved the video. One of the viewers said, “The snake is an artwork of an academy, I think. But I know it isn’t real.” Yet another one jested, “This is what happens when the world is put on TikTok. People that don’t go anywhere raise conspiracies.”

Of course, a video of such a nature could not have gone unchecked. The fact-checking website Snopes investigated it and declared it a hoax. Actually, this giant skeleton turned out to be a large, metallic snake sculpture that had been created by Huang Yong Ping, an artist, and given the title of ‘Le Serpent d’Océan’. Made entirely of aluminum, it measured a whopping 425 feet (130 meters) and is listed on Val De Loire’s website under ‘Museum and interpretation centers’.

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