Longest species of snake

The reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) of south-east Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines regularly exceeds 6.25 metres (20 feet 6 inches), and the record length is 10 metres (32 feet 9.5 inches) for a specimen shot in Celebes (now Sulawesi), Indonesia, in 1912.

Some have cast doubt over the 10-m python from Celebes owing to a lack of supporting evidence to back up the original claim by museum collector Harry C Raven from the American Museum of Natural History, who toured the area between 1912 and 1923. In a historical review of large snake species – Giant Snakes: A Natural History (2019) – herpetology expert John C Murphy estimates that the maximum length of reticulated pythons is most likely in the range of 8–9 m (26 ft 2 in–29 ft 6 in).

The longest snake ever recorded in captivity is also a “retic”: Medusa measured 7.67 m (25 ft 2 in) long and tipped the scales at 158.8 kg (350 lb) when assessed on 12 October 2011. She requires around 15 people in order to support her huge body. Thrilling crowds as part of a haunted-house experience in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, for over a decade, she is cared for by Full Moon Productions.

What does the reticulated python look like?

Both the size and appearance of reticulated pythons can vary based on location, with three subspecies currently recognized and several others proposed. In all cases, however, they are fairly recognizable owing to their long muscular bodies and distinctive patterned skin, though can be confused with some similar pythons by those without herpetological experience.

While the precise colour combination and markings are unique to each individual, as a general rule they all boast a series of irregular diamond shapes that form a zigzag down their backs with the rest of the skin patched in various shades of brown, tan, orange, black, olive green, yellow and white (barring rare exceptions like albinos).

With an almost pixellated appearance owing to the complex patchwork of contrasting lines and scales – the regimented net-like effect is where this snake gets its “reticulated” name from. This effective form of camouflage, known as “disruptive colouration”, is essential to their survival as it helps to mask their outline and blend in with brush and leaf litter on the sun-dappled forest floor, increasing their chances of sneaking up on prey.

Where does the reticulated python live?

In the wild, reticulated pythons are most commonly found dwelling in tropical forests, wetland and grassy areas, often close to streams and lakes as they make excellent swimmers and use the water to both beat a hasty retreat from predators (such as big cats, crocodiles and birds of prey) and to ambush their own prey. They have even been observed swimming at sea, which has enabled them to colonize offshore islands.

In terms of geographic distribution, the species’ native range throughout south-east Asia has traditionally stretched from Bangladesh in the west across to Vietnam and up to southern China on the Asian mainland. However it can also be found widely on Indo-Pacific islands such as the vast Indonesian archipelago, the Philippines and the world’s largest tropical island, New Guinea. There have been some uncorroborated reports of them in northern Australia too.

Owing to their popularity – along with other similarly bulky snakes such as the Burmese python (Python bivattitus) – in the exotic pet trade, when some owners find they are unable to care for them any longer, a number have been released in other parts of the world – notably in the tropical Everglades in Florida, USA. A threat to native wildlife (these plucky pythons have even been observed taking on Florida’s alligators!), efforts are now underway to try and reduce numbers of these invasive populations.

How does the reticulated python hunt?

As with all snakes, reticulated pythons are obligate carnivores, which means their diet is exclusively meat-based. With such a bulky body, the reticulated python is not built for speed, but when it comes to stealth, it’s a master. Moving slowly or lying motionless, it can blend into a range of settings, including low-level vegetation, leaf-covered ground, leafy branches (they are able to climb trees by spiralling around and gripping onto trunks with their powerful bodies) or concealed in water. As soon as a victim wanders within striking distance, they spring forth, mouth first, and clamp on with their fangs but this is only as an initial restraint.

They then deploy their most formidable weapon – their long, muscular body – which coils round and round the unlucky animal, squeezing ever tighter so their lungs are unable to expand and draw in air, until eventually they are overcome by asphyxiation or cardiac arrest. The python can then stretch its jaws eye-wateringly wide to swallow prey whole, typically devouring victims head first so that their limbs don’t get jammed at awkward angles during the course of digestion.

These opportunistic ambush hunters will happily tuck into a wide range of quarry including birds, reptiles and fish but by far its favoured food are mammals. This includes everything from light snacks such as rats, bats and squirrels right up to more substantial fare such as monkeys, wild boar and deer. After a large meal, these pythons can go several months without eating again.

On very rare occasions, there have been cases of them attacking and even consuming humans but only particularly large specimens would be capable of even attempting this.

Are reticulated pythons under threat?

With a very wide distribution across south-east Asia and fairly stable numbers, the world’s longest snake is not currently deemed to be at risk by conservationists. That said, demand for them as exotic pets and for python leather in the fashion industry (used in luxury items such as handbags) has seen increased illegal hunting of these reptiles in recent years, ringing alarm bells among herpetologists. To try and combat illicit trading and keep wild python populations robust, the snake has been added to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regulatory treaty in several key countries in their geographic range, where strict quotas and rules are placed around how many pythons can be killed annually, as well as oversight on python farming operations and how any python products are sold.

How do reticulated pythons compare to other supersized serpents?

While the reticulated python is the longest snake in the world today, another species from the other side of the Pacific Ocean takes the title as the heaviest on average: the green anaconda. Native to wetlands and slow-moving rivers in tropical South America, in February 2024, the long-recognized single species of this colossal constrictor was split into two based on genetic and geographic differences: the southern green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) and the northern green anaconda (Eunectes akayima).

There are three other recognized species of anaconda from South America – the yellow (E. notaeus), dark-spotted (E. deschauenseei) and Bolivian (E. beniensis) – but while still big for snakes, none of these reach quite the same epic proportions of their larger green cousins.

Fully grown, female green anacondas obtain a typical weight of between 30 and 70 kg (65–155 lb) and measure 3–5 m (9 ft 10 in–16 ft 4 in) from head to tail. But occasionally much larger specimens (almost certainly all females) have been sighted, reaching between 7–8 m (22–26 ft) long with an estimated weight in excess of 300 kg (660 lb) – about the same as a grand piano! It’s likely that the heftiest examples are either pregnant or have recently consumed a large meal.

Other rivals for the title of the largest snake on Earth today are, not surprisingly, all constrictors and close relatives of the reticulated python. They include species such as the Burmese python (Python bivittatus), whose range overlaps that of the retic in south-east Asia, the Indian python (P. molurus), mainly based on the Indian subcontinent, and the African rock pythons (P. natalensis and P. sebae); all of these have authenticated individuals exceeding the 5-m (16-ft 5-in) threshold. The Australian scrub python (Simalia kinghorni) is also up there among the world’s longest snakes, though certain historical accounts of examples greater than 7 m (22 ft 11.5 in) are now widely deemed to have been based on stretched skins.

All of the above are serpents that primarily live in terrestrial or freshwater environments. The longest sea snake, meanwhile, is the yellow sea snake (Hydrophis spiralis), native to the Indian Ocean, which can grow up to 2.75 m (9 ft) from nose to the tip of their fin-like flattened tail.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the longest snake ever recorded?

The longest documented snake is a 10-m (32-ft 9.5-in) reticulated python captured by hunters in Celebes (now Sulawesi) in Indonesia in 1912. This would also make it the longest extant reptile in modern history, if discounting prehistoric species that no longer exist today. In more recent times, an approximately 8-m (26-ft) pregnant reticulated python was found on a building site in Paya Turebong on the island of Penang, Malaysia, in 2016. She was estimated to weigh 250 kg (550 lb). Sadly, just three days after being captured and giving birth to her young, she died.

What's the biggest anaconda ever found?

There are reports of a female green anaconda that was shot in Brazil c. 1960 that was 8.45 m (27 ft 9 in) long with a girth of 111 cm (44 in), which theoretically could have weighed between 300 and 400 kg (660–880 lb).

What is the longest snake of all time?

Extinct ancestors of the reticulated python and anaconda have been estimated by palaeontologists to have attained even larger sizes than today’s mega-serpents. Until recently, the largest snake ever known to have lived is Titanoboa cerrejonensis, a prehistoric species of boa known from the fossils of 28 specimens found in the coal mines of Cerrejón in La Guajira, Colombia. The remains were found during an international scientific expedition led by Dr Jonathan Bloch and formally announced in February 2009 in the journal Nature. The fossils revealed that Titanoboa, which lived during the Palaeocene Epoch (66–56 million years ago), likely reached a maximum length of 12–15 m (39–49 ft) – the same as a semi-trailer truck, measured approximately 1 m (3 ft 2 in) across at the thickest portion of its body, and weighed roughly 1,135 kg (2,500 lb).

In 2024, however, it emerged that Vasuki indicus, a fossil species of madtsoiid snake known from 27 vertebrae (some still articulated) unearthed in Gujarat, India, during 2005, is estimated to have had a total body length of 10.9–15.2 m (35 ft 9 in–49 ft 10 in), meaning it may have rivalled or even exceeded Titanoboa. It lived slightly later, some 47 million years ago, during the Mid-Eocene. The findings about Vasuki appeared in Scientific Reports on 18 April 2024.

Is Titanoboa still alive?

The fossils so far discovered of the prehistoric snake Titanoboa have dated no later than c. 58 million years old, so it’s presumed that is around the time this superlative slitherer went extinct. This means that it evolved after the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) extinction event that wiped out around three-quarters of all animals and plants on Earth, including the non-avian dinosaurs, and it was in all likelihood one of the largest predators of its time. It’s not known for sure what caused the demise of Titanoboa, but many palaeontologists believe that climate change would have played a key part; a cooling planet would not have suited a gigantic cold-blooded snake that thrives in warm and humid tropical conditions.

What is the longest deadliest snake?

All of the above mega-snakes, including the extant retic and anaconda and the extinct Titanoboa, employ(ed) constriction as their means of taking out prey. The longest species of venomous snake, meanwhile, which kills its victims by dispensing toxic venom via its fangs, is the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), native to India and south-east Asia. Adults average 3.7–4 m (12 ft 1 in–13 ft 1 in) in length and weigh about 6.8 kg (15 lb). 

The longest specimen of king cobra on record – captured in April 1937 near Port Dickson in Malaysia and put on display at London Zoo, UK – had a full length of 5.71 m (16 ft 8 in) in autumn 1939. Sadly, it had to be put down, along with the zoo's other venomous snakes, at the outbreak of World War II in order to prevent danger to the general public should the facility be bombed and the snakes escape into the city.