Species · GBIF taxon 8614099
Sanajeh indicus
Sanajeh indicusSanajeh indicus was an ancient terrestrial serpent that stalked the semi-arid floodplains of Late Cretaceous India. Lacking the specialized wide-gaping jaws of modern constrictors, it capitalized on dinosaur nesting colonies to consume relatively small prey whole. Fossil remains capture an adult coiled directly around an unhatched titanosaur egg adjacent to a freshly emerged hatchling, presenting rare direct evidence of prehistoric predatory behavior.
FossilCarnivorous
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Isisaurus colberti (hatchlings)
- Jainosaurus septentrionalis (hatchlings)
- Sauropod eggs
Predators
- Rajasaurus narmadensis
- Indosuchus raptorius
ThreatsCretaceous-Paleogene extinction event
HabitatsSemi-arid fluvial basins and river floodplains
Life spanUnknown (estimated 15–25 years)
Classification
- FamilyMadtsoiidae
- SpeciesSanajeh indicus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct species known only from Cretaceous fossils; safe to observe in museum collections.
Responsible observation
- Museum observation: Study cast displays to view the preserved nesting site association.
- Paleontological context: Look for the lack of macrostomy in the primitive jaw architecture.
Image unavailablePredator 
Prey Ansh Saxena / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Alpha from Melbourne, Australia / CC BY-SA 2.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Rique / CC0 · cc0
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