Īlthough weight is easier to measure reliably than length (e.g., by simply measuring the weight of a container with and without the snake inside it and subtracting one measurement from the other), a significant factor in the weight of a snake is whether it has been kept in captivity and provided an unusual abundance of food in conditions that also cause reduced levels of activity. At least one reticulated python was measured under full anesthesia at 6.95 m (22.8 ft), and somewhat less reliable scientific reports up to 10 m (33 ft) have appeared. It has been suggested that confident length records for the largest snakes must be established from a dead body soon after death, or alternatively from a heavily sedated snake, using a steel tape and in the presence of witnesses, and must be published (and preferably recorded on video). Īlthough it is generally accepted that the reticulated python is the world's longest snake, most length estimates longer than 6 m (20 ft) have been called into question. ![]() President Theodore Roosevelt in the early 1900s, later raised to $5,000, then $15,000 in 1978 and $50,000 in 1980) for a live, healthy snake over 30 ft (9.14 m) long by the New York Zoological Society (later renamed as the Wildlife Conservation Society), no attempt to claim the reward has ever been made. In spite of what has been, for many years, a standing offer of a large financial reward (initially $1,000 offered by U.S. In general, the reported lengths are likely to be somewhat overestimated. It is important to be aware that there is considerable variation in the maximum reported size of these species, and most measurements are not truly verifiable, so the sizes listed should not be considered definitive. By weight, the blood python ( Python brongersmai) is also a relatively massive snake, although it does not reach exceptional lengths. ![]() The Oenpelli python, in particular, has been called the rarest python in the world. The information available about these two species is rather limited. There are two other species that reach nearly this length – the Oenpelli python (binomial name Nyctophilopython oenpelliensis, Simalia oenpelliensis or Morelia oenpelliensis), and the olive python ( Liasis olivaceus). ![]() This includes all species that reach a length of at least 20 ft (6.1 m). There are fourteen living snake species with a maximum mass of at least 50 lb (23 kg), as shown in the table below. The longest venomous snake, with a length up to 18.5–18.8 ft (5.6–5.7 m), is the king cobra, and the heaviest venomous snake is likely to be the Gaboon viper (which also has the longest fangs and delivers the largest amount of venom) or possibly the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake – all three of these reach maximum weights in the range of 6–20 kg (13–44 lb). They include anacondas, pythons and boa constrictors, which are all non-venomousĬonstrictors. The wee anthill python ( Antaresia perthensis), meanwhile, usually attains a child-like twenty inches.The largest living snakes in the world, measured either by length or by weight, are various members of the Boidae and Pythonidae families. True, the enormous reticulated python ( Python reticulatus) can exceed twenty feet in length. Yet, such giants are just the tip of the iceberg, for boas and pythons come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Well, these magnificent South American creatures belong squarely to the boa camp-in fact, they’re sometimes called “ water boas.” Anacondas, like all king-sized constrictors, are great at snagging headlines. In pythons, but not boas, a pair of upper jaw bones called the “ premaxilla” bear teeth.Īt this point, you might be wondering where anacondas fit into all this. Also, the two families sport slightly-different body plans. Boas tend to bear live young, whilst all known pythons are egg-layers, with gravid mothers sometimes squeezing out over two dozen in a single clutch. For instance, just when everyone thought Florida couldn’t get any wilder, the enormous Burmese python ( Python molurus bivittatus) began populating the Everglades during the 1980s, thanks largely to irresponsible pet owners.Īnother decent rule of thumb is reproduction. Note, however, that human globalization has helped many species artificially spread out and invade distant lands. While pythons are Old World snakes, boas also dwell in the Americas. But how can you tell them apart? And from which family does “your” serpent hail?īefore breaking out the field guide, take geography into account. Since the world’s most heavily-built snake species are all either boas or pythons, this reptile probably belongs to one of those groups. ![]() After brushing aside some foliage, your heart leaps when a huge, powerful constrictor slithers by. Picture this: you’re out hiking through a misty rainforest.
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