What is the largest snake in the world? With over 3,000 snake species living around the world, there are many candidates to consider. The largest snakes listed here were chosen for their extraordinary length. The huge snakes combined with their heavy weight ranked even higher on the list.
# 10 Biggest Snakes: Brown Snake – 11 Feet Long
King brown snake (Pseudechis australis) can grow up to 11 feet in length. Although this snake is 11 feet in size, it only weighs about 13 pounds. This venomous snake lives in the meadows, forests and shrubs of central Australia. Its mixture of yellow and brown scales helps camouflage it as it moves its long body in search of frogs and lizards. It has the least hazardous conservation status due to population decline.
# 9 Biggest Snakes: King Cobra – 13 Feet Long
King Cobra (Ophiophage Hannah) can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh 20 pounds. The king cobra is not only one of the largest in the world, but also claims to be the longest venomous snake on earth!
They live in India, Southeast Asia and are found in rainforest habitats. These snakes can look even bigger when they “stand up” or lift the upper half of their body off the ground in response to a threat. Its conservation status is Vulnerable, but it is a protected species in Vietnam.
# 8 Biggest snakes: Boa constrictor – 13 feet long
Boa constrictor (Boa) and king cobra can grow up to 13 feet in length. However, the boa constrictor is higher on the list because it is heavier than two at 60 pounds. The growth of boas in newborns is 2 feet. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that these are some of the largest snakes in the world. These snakes are native to South America. Some of them live in rainforests, while others live in semi-desert habitats.
# 7 Biggest Snakes: Black Mamba – 14 Feet Long
Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) can grow up to 14 feet in length. This venomous snake lives in the savannas in eastern and central Africa. The slender black mamba weighs only about 3 pounds, making it easy to move its long body at 12.5 miles per hour. The conservation status of this reptile is of least concern when the population is stable.
# 6 Biggest snakes: African rock python – 16 feet long
African rock python (Python sebae) can grow up to 16 feet in length. This reptile can weigh up to 250 pounds. Inhabits meadows and savannas of Africa. This snake wraps its large body around its victim, using powerful muscles to strangle it. These snakes are known to eat antelopes, crocodiles, warthogs and other large prey.
# 5 Biggest snakes: Indian python – 20 feet long
Indian python (Python molurus) can grow up to 20 feet and sometimes more. They weigh about 150 pounds. This reptile lives in the forests of Pakistan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
This snake feeds on small mammals and birds. Like other pythons, it grabs its prey with strong jaws and then wraps its body around the animal to strangle it.
Unfortunately, this reptile has a Vulnerable conservation status. It is hunted for its skin, and in some places it is eaten. The loss of habitat also affects the population of this snake.
# 4 Biggest snakes: Burmese python – 23 feet long
Burmese python (Python bivitattus) is up to 23 feet long and can weigh up to 200 pounds. This reptile lives in the swamps of Southeast Asia, including China. His body has a girth or thickness equal to a telephone pole! Like other pythons on this list, the Burmese python wraps its strong body around its prey to suffocate it.
Their conservation status is Vulnerable with population decline. These snakes are caught and killed for their hide and used for food. The destruction of habitat also contributed to a decrease in the prey of this snake, therefore, a decrease in its general population.
# 3 Biggest Snakes: Amethyst Python – 27 Feet Long
Amethystine Python (Morelia amethystine) can grow up to 27 feet long and weigh 33 pounds. Females are usually larger than males. This reptile is found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Its habitat is rainforest, savannah and shrubbery. The conservation status of this snake is of least concern due to its stable population.
# 2 Biggest snakes: reticulated python – 29 feet long
Reticulated python (Python reticulated) can grow up to 29 feet long and weigh up to 595 pounds! It is called the reticulated python because of the mixed pattern of its brownish-yellow and black scales. The female reticulated python is usually larger than the male. This reptile lives in the rainforests and swamps of Southeast Asia, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Their conservation status is of least concern.
# 1 Biggest Snakes: Green Anaconda – 30 Feet Long
Green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) the biggest snake in the world! It grows up to 30 feet in length and can weigh up to 550 pounds. If you stretch a green anaconda to its full length, it will be about the same length as an average school bus! Usually, the females of the green anaconda are larger than the males.
The snake, which claims to be the largest in the world, lives in the Amazon rainforest and the swamps of Brazil. These are carnivores that catch their prey in the form of wild pigs and deer, wrapping their huge bodies around them and squeezing them until the victim dies.
Next: Elephant Life Span: How Long Do Elephants Live?