There’s a well-documented problem with Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades. The snakes, which are not native to Florida, are most likely the result of pets that either escaped or were released into the wild. They are so numerous that the state of Florida recently sponsored the Florida Python Challenge, which incentivized the hunting and capturing of pythons with awards and prizes. The largest of those snakes was about 11-feet long.

In Macon, there are no python problem, but the size of the pythons in Florida offers some perspective on the size of Macon’s latest reptilian visitor. At an estimated 48 feet in length, this particular snake is the largest known to science and the longest in recorded history. The Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition “Titanoboa: Monster Snake” is on display now at the Museum of Arts and Sciences. The name is fitting, because this snake is huge.

Titanoboa is one big snake. That’s a crocodile in its mouth, in case anyone was wondering. Photos by Jonathan Dye

According to the museum’s website:

“Titanoboa is an extinct genus of snake that lived approximately 60 million years ago during a 10-million-year period immediately following the extinction of the dinosaurs. This giant serpent looked something like a modern-day boa constrictor, but behaved more like today’s water-dwelling anaconda. It was a swamp denizen and a fearsome predator, able to eat any animal that caught its eye. The thickest part of its body would be nearly as high as a man’s waist.”

This display near the entrance to the exhibit offers background information on this recently discovered serpent.

Discovered in 2004 in northern Colombia, Titanoboa will be in Macon until January 25, 2014. The exhibit includes a full-length documentary on the history discovery and site excavation. Hailed as one of the greatest prehistoric discoveries since the T-Rex, “Titanoboa: Monster Snake” is an experience no one should miss.

The comparison of a vertebra from a 17.5-foot boa and the 48-foot Titanoboa offers some perspective on the size of this “monster snake.”

The museum is open Tuesdays–Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Museum admission is $10, adults; $8, seniors (62+) and military with IDs; $7, students with IDs; $5, children (3-17); free, museum members and children younger than 3.

The Museum of Arts and Sciences: 4182 Forsyth Rd., Macon; 478-477-3232; www.masmacon.org.