THE WOOLSERY research centre dedicated to the investigation of mystery animals is delighted with the discovery of the fossilised remains of eight snakes measuring 43 feet.

And the Centre for Fortean Zoology believes that creatures like these exist today but are yet to be discovered.

The remains of the gigantic snakes were recently unearthed in a Colombian quarry in South America.

Zoological director Richard Freeman, has previously been to Guyana on the track of the giant anaconda and told of 33-foot-long species of snake while in the Caucausus mountains of Russia.

He said: "Stories of monstrous snakes appear in most cultures, but there may be much more than ancient legend in these tales — but such creatures are not restricted to the tropics."

It is believed the snakes found in Colombia could have reached more than 2,500lbs and probably ate ancient relatives of crocodiles in its rainforest home some 58 million to 60 million years ago.

The discoverers of the snake named it Titanoboa cerrejonensis, meaning "titanic boa from Cerrejon." While related to modern boa constrictors, it behaved more like an anaconda and mostly spent time in water.