abstract:Madtsoiidae are an extinct group of mostly Gondwanan snakes with a fossil record extending from early Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous) to late Pleistocene strata located in South America, Africa, India, Australia and Southern Europe. Madtsoiid snakes include very primitive snakes, which like extant boas and pythons would likely dispatch their prey by constriction, such as Gigantophis, one of the longest snakes known at an estimated 10.