Fossils of three snakes that died 38 million years ago, huddled together, have been found in the US. Photo

Approximately 38 million years ago, three snakes died huddled together in what is now Wyoming. For decades, the identity of the fossils has been a mystery.

In a new study, using high-resolution computed tomography, scientists were able to examine in more detail fossils discovered in the White River Formation in 1976, Live Science writes.

The scientists hypothesize that these snakes may have hibernated in groups, much like modern garter snakes (Thamnophis) do. The team concluded that the snakes are relatives of modern boa constrictors and belong to a recently described species they named Hibernophis breithaupti. Hibernophis combines the Latin word "hibernare," meaning "to overwinter," with the Greek word "ophis," meaning "snake." The name is an allusion to the unusual social behavior of snakes.

"This is really unusual for reptiles. Of the nearly 15,000 different species of reptiles alive today, none of them hibernate the way garter snakes do," explains Michael Caldwell co-author of the study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

According to the National Park Service, garter snakes, common throughout North America, congregate in shared dens from October through April, sometimes traveling long distances to reach each other. By wintering in clusters, the snakes stay warm when temperatures drop.

"They can't regulate their body temperature, so they need to find a way to keep as much heat as possible in the winter, and they do that by hoarding," Caldwell said.

The snakes whose fossils scientists found may have huddled together when they died. The researchers suspect the snakes were caught in a small flood while they were in their winter den, so they were trapped and quickly became entrapped in the fine sandy mudstone. This also preserved complete, articulated skeletons. This is particularly rare for snakes, as they are made up of hundreds of easily scattered vertebrae.

"There are probably almost a million dissected snake vertebrae in the world's museum collections. They are easy to find. But to find the whole snake? That's rare," Caldwell said.

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