The Largest Snake in The World: The Biggest Snake Species Alive!

Snakes are our slithering serpents that boast groovy body patterns, and super-fast, super-venomous bites! Among many fascinating features, what makes these magnificent serpentine stand out as truly-of-one-kind is the enormous size they can grow to.

From green anacondas to reticulated pythons, some massive giant-sized snakes live in remote areas of the world.

We are excited to talk to you about some of the biggest snake species in the world!

The Reticulated Python: The Largest Snake on Earth

The reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) is the longest snake in the world that can be as long as 32 feet. In general, an adult reticulated python has a length of between 10 and 20 feet regulated by its surroundings, availability of food, care they get, and subspecies. 

The weight of this giant snake can range from 1 to 75 kilograms. It ranks third in terms of weight and comes after the green anaconda and Burmese python. This serpentine sash of the jungle boasts a complex, diamond-shaped skin pattern that runs along the back. This whimsical net-like pattern is a wonder, a testament to the startling diversity that graces nature.

Habitat

This gigantic hissing menace calls a wide range of terrain their home. From southern and Southeast Asia, to as far north as China, India, and Bangladesh to as far south as Indonesia, you can find them slithering through lush rainforests, creeping in grasslands, and even sailing in the water.

These non-venomous largest snake can adapt to a variety of environments. They can thrive in the coastal regions and even live at higher altitudes over 4300 feet above sea level.

What Do Giant Snakes Eat? 

The reticulated pythons are carnivores. From fauna to mammals – they stuff their faces with almost everything they get their hands on.

They are non-venomous ambush predators, hiding and waiting for their prey to pass by their hunting ground. Once they get it, they strike at the prey at high speed and pull it into the coli to subdue it. They then constrict their hold each time the prey exhales, until it can no longer respire.

This hunting process is called constriction, which, even though speeds up the snake’s metabolism rate by seven times, makes the python vulnerable to the attacks of other predators.

Are you ready to take a wild culinary tour of the palate of our slithery snake – the reticulated python? Let’s dive fork-first into the exotic diet of this mighty snake!

As we have already stated, their diet consists of almost everything. They usually feast on mammals and sometimes birds. While small (up to 3–4 m) and young specimens feed on bats, treeshrews, and different types of rodents like mice and rats, the diet of larger pythons consists of small Indian civets, pigs, primates, binturong, and even deer.

If you see a chicken missing from your coop, don’t mind checking it with your slithering python buddy nearby! Sometimes, they are found to share habitat with humans and feast on chickens, cats, or even small dogs! Reticulated pythons can even consume prey of their own size. They can swallow prey that is as long as one-fourth of their own length and equal to their weight. 

If you search the history, you will discover that a reticulated python of 6.95m once ate a whole sun bear of 23 kgs. It was a feat that took around 10 weeks to digest.

Now let’s have a tour of the lifestyle of the heaviest snake in the animal kingdom – the green anaconda.

The Green Anaconda: The Heaviest Snake in the World

The green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), a well-known anaconda species, also called the giant anaconda, is a member of the family Boidae. They top the list for the heaviest snake in the world with an adult snake weighing as much as 70 to 150 pounds. However, the weight of these giant serpents depends on their age, sex, and overall health. Again, with an average length of 16 feet to 20 feet (4.9 to 6.1 meters), these slithery Goliaths come second to reticulated python. Generally, female green anacondas are larger and heavier than their male counterparts. They can reach an average length of 15 to 17 feet (4.5 to 5.2 meters) and weigh up to 550 pounds. However, some individuals can exceed 22 feet (6.7 meters) and even grow as long as 29 feet (8.8 meters).

Habitat

The green anaconda is a semiaquatic boa constrictor mostly found in South America and the Caribbean island of Trinidad. They don’t prefer places that remain cold for a long time. Green anacondas call wet, tropical habitats and shallow slow-moving waters such as swamps, flooded forest floors, marshes, and streams, their home. You will better find these slithery serpents below 2,800 feet elevation.

Diet of Green Anacondas

Green anacondas are apex predators and a boa constrictor that feast on almost everything they get their hands on. Their grand menu includes birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and different types of mammals. Their diet greatly varies with their age. For example, while large green anacondas live on prey such as deer, jaguars, tapirs, caimans, peccaries, and capybaras, jaguars, and caimans, young members of this family usually eat small caiman and small birds. As green anacondas grow, so does the complexity of their diet.

Like reticulated pythons, green anacondas are also nonvenomous constrictors and adopt the “world’s famous” ambush technique to chomp on their prey. Since they mainly dwell in water they hunt for prey that come down to drink water where these opportunistic predators keep them submerged with only their nostrils above the water’s surface to breathe. Once a prey comes to a striking distance, the snake sneaks up on it, bites it with its jaws, and constricts it until it can no longer breathe. Once the prey is constricted, the green anaconda swallows it whole.

Apart from these two mighty snakes, the animal kingdom is bustling with other serpents notable for their unique characteristics. For instance, the majestic king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) holds the title as the world’s longest venomous snake. With a length reaching a staggering 18 feet, this magnificent crowned slitherer invokes awe and thrill, reigning the animal kingdom with its potent venom. 

Again, thriving parts of southeast Asia and the northern Indian Ocean,  the yellow sea snake (Hydrophis spiralis) is reported to be the longest sea snake. It usually grows up to 2.75 metres.  

Burmese Python 

So, let’s dive into the wild world of the Burmese Python, one of the largest snake species out there, native to Southeast Asia. This massive snake can grow to be one of the longest snake species, with some reaching up to 30 feet long! They’re often found in the Florida Everglades as an invasive species, causing quite a stir. The Guinness World Records has noted some pretty impressive specimens, though the longest reticulated python ever recorded still holds the title for total length.

In terms of natural history, these snakes have been around for million years ago, and their relatives like the northern green anaconda and yellow anaconda are also pretty famous. The southern green anaconda, known as Eunectes notaeus, is another large snake that shares the spotlight. While the green anacondas are the heaviest, the Burmese Python is definitely a contender for the biggest snake in the world title.

In captivity, these snakes can be seen in places like the zoo or a natural history museum, where they continue to fascinate visitors. The New York Zoological has showcased some of the most impressive specimens ever found. While not the heaviest venomous snake (that title goes to another species), they are still a sight to behold. And let’s not forget the titanoboa cerrejonensis, an extinct snake from an extinct family, which was the biggest snake in the world ever discovered in the Amazon rainforest.

As we move into 2024, researchers are still on the lookout for new species and records, hoping to find the next python ever or snake ever found that could break the world record. Whether it’s in the wild or in captivity, these snakes continue to capture our imaginations and remind us of the incredible diversity of life on Earth.

Boa Constrictors 

Let’s talk about boa constrictors, which are often mistaken for the world’s largest snake or the world’s longest snake. These guys aren’t the world’s biggest or the largest ever, but they sure have their charm. Discovered in the Amazon rainforest, these non-venomous snake in the world spend much of their time chilling by the rivers of South America.

Now, if you think about the world’s largest snake, you might be thinking of the burmese python ever recorded at 20.5 feet in length. But boa constrictors have their own history, having lived around 47 million years ago, which is pretty wild, right? They were around when the world’s largest snake was slithering about some 10 million years ago.

According to live science, a healthy snake like the boa constrictor can live a long life, though not as long as the python in captivity that was recorded at 227 years old. And while they might not be the largest ever, they still hold a special place in the snake world, unlike the python in captivity that was killed at the outbreak. So, next time you’re on a pole with Will Smith, remember these fascinating creatures! 

King Cobra

So, get this: the King Cobra is not just any snake; it’s the world’s largest and most venomous snake in the world. Imagine stumbling upon one of these bad boys in the Amazon rainforest—yikes! These slithery giants have been around for around 47 million years, which is like, way before even dinosaurs were cool. They spend much of their time chilling by the rivers of South America, just minding their own business.

Now, if you think that’s wild, check this out: the largest ever snake to ever be discovered was a healthy snake measuring a whopping 20.5 feet long! That’s longer than a pole with Will Smith doing a dance-off. And while we’re on the topic of massive snakes, the world’s longest snake title goes to a burmese python ever kept in captivity. These guys are like the world’s biggest celebrities of the snake world.

But, unfortunately, some of these giants were killed at the outbreak of human expansion about 10 million years ago. According to Live Science, these snakes have a history as rich as a blockbuster movie, and they’ve been slithering around since around 47 million years ago. So, next time you hear about the world’s largest snake, just remember, these guys have been rocking the snake world for eons! 

African Rock Pythons 

Did you know that the world’s largest snake isn’t actually the venomous snake in the world? Yep, we’re talking about the African Rock Python, which is a total beast! This massive snake can grow up to a whopping 20.5 feet, making it one of the world’s biggest and world’s longest snake. It’s not the largest ever though; that title goes to the burmese python ever recorded, but it’s still pretty impressive.

These pythons have been around for ages, like around 47 million years ago, and they spend much of their time chilling by the rivers of South America. Although they weren’t discovered in the Amazon rainforest, they share a similar habitat. According to Live Science, a healthy snake can live for quite a while in the wild.

In captivity, they can live even longer, but sadly, some have been killed at the outbreak of certain diseases. Imagine having a python in captivity that’s as old as 10 million years ago! It’s like having a piece of history right there with you. And who wouldn’t want to see one of these giants on a pole with Will Smith? That would be epic!

Gigantophis Garstini 

Have you ever heard of the Gigantophis Garstini? This beast was the world’s largest snake and lived around 47 million years ago. Imagine a snake that could give the world’s biggest python in captivity a run for its money! This massive serpent was discovered in the Amazon rainforest, chilling in the rivers of South America. It was like the world’s longest snake back in the day, even before the Burmese python ever showed up.

Now, picture this: a healthy snake that could grow up to 20.5 feet. That’s longer than a pole with Will Smith standing on top! If you think the largest ever venomous snake in the world today is scary, imagine running into this guy. According to Live Science, it was the largest ever snake to ever slither the earth, and it lived much of their time just hanging out in the water, probably waiting to scare the pants off anything that dared to come close.

Sadly, this giant was killed at the outbreak of the new era about 10 million years ago. But hey, it’s still cool to think about how this world’s largest snake once ruled the prehistoric world. Makes you wonder what other crazy creatures were lurking around back then, right?

How Snakes Get So Big

 The extended vertebral column in larger snakes contributes to their increasing length. For example, a boa like an anaconda or a python can have as many as 300 vertebrae in their spinal column of a modern python, boa or anaconda. However, once the snake reaches a certain age, the number of vertebrates in its sine column doesn’t increase; instead, it only gets bigger contributing to the growth of the serpentine. Another key contributor to their massive size is their slow metabolism rate compared to other large animals. It helps them survive in an environment with a scarcity of large prey.

Again, their incredibly flexible jaws and super-elastic skin help them eat up prey larger than their head. It allows larger snakes to collect the required nutrition from their meals.

In Search Of The World’s Biggest Snake

Even though both reticulated python and green anaconda are listed as species of least concern when it comes to extinction risk, protecting them is still critical. Conservation is even more critical when climate change, massive habitat loss, and poaching for their skin pose a significant threat to their population.

These opportunistic apex predators also play a pivotal role in balancing the equilibrium of the ecosystem by regulating the population of their prey.

So let’s rally together to save these giant snakes! 

Patsy Todd