Which snake is the biggest in the world. The biggest snake
Bearing in mind the presence of these reptiles deadly poison, and irritability. During the period of laying and protecting their nest, these reptiles can even throw themselves at their own shadow - their behavior becomes so inadequate.
However, no one ever compares a person, for the sake of offense, with such a very formidable representative of the suborder of snakes as the python. Meanwhile, this predator is no less dangerous. Perhaps this happens because even the most big snake- reticulated python - quite rarely attacks humans. The size of a person does not allow him to swallow it. The python is not capable of tearing the victim into pieces and chewing food. Teeth are used by reptiles only to hold the victim.
The largest snake in the world feeds mature age birds, lizards, toads, rabbits, jackals, can hardly swallow a roe deer, antelope, a monkey, a small crocodile. If the prey is too large, the python may regurgitate it. Due to the fact that the largest snake chooses its food based only on the size of a living creature, a child or a small person may well become its victim.
The python's jaws are extremely mobile, its mouth has the ability to stretch, which allows it to “stretch” over the killed victim like a stocking on a leg. After the prey is inside it, the predator falls into a state of hibernation: it digests food and practically does not move during this time. If the reptile is lucky enough to feast on wild boar or roe deer, the “rest” can last up to 40 days.
Reticulated pythons are often kept in zoos, because everyone wants to see what they look like (the photo shows the moment of the rescue of one of the representatives of this species, stuck in the fence of the Palaborwa Zoo).
The colors of snakes are very diverse; their backs can be covered with such a unique pattern that you can’t help but think: “Did carpet weavers copy designs for luxurious carpets from them?”
Usually this subspecies of snakes reaches a length of four to eight meters, but sometimes it can grow up to ten meters. For example, the largest snake in the world, the reticulated python, was caught in Indonesia. Its weight was 447 kg, and its length was 14.85 m. It would cost such a monster nothing to swallow a cow or a person! One glance is enough to cause panic in any living creature.
The distribution zone of the reticulated python includes Africa (to the south of South and Southeast Asia. These crawling cold-blooded creatures prefer to settle in savannas, tropical and sub tropical forests near bodies of water. After all, the big python snake loves to swim and be in the water. long time. They can crawl beautifully through trees.
Pythons differ from their close relatives, boas, in that they are oviparous reptiles. Female reticulated pythons can lay more than a hundred eggs at a time. The female python protects her clutch by curling up in a ring around the eggs. If necessary, the mother can even, by contracting her body muscles, increase her temperature in order to warm her future offspring. So it’s hard to blame a naturally cold-blooded female python for being cold-blooded towards her children.
Snakes. Danger and fear. Poison and greatness. People treat snakes very differently. Those who simply adore them and are not afraid to pick them up, some have acquired snakes as their favorite pets. And some experience insurmountable panic at the sight of them. Now there are about 3 thousand species of snakes in the world. Many of them are completely harmless creatures. But now we will look at those creatures that simply amaze with their size and grandeur. This is a ranking of the largest snakes in the world. Make yourself comfortable, because these creatures are unique in their kind. And every person should learn about them.
King cobra - 5th place in the ranking of the largest snakes in the world
This creature, although it occupies last place in our rating, but nevertheless, she is the most poisonous among those characters whom we will describe further.
- 3-4 meters long
- A cobra lives for about 30 years
- grows all your life
- releases a dose of poison up to 7mm, which kills a person in 15 minutes.
The maximum specimen that has been encountered reaches 5.6 meters. King cobras live only in the tropical forests of South Asia.
This is a creature that primarily eats its own kind. The royal specimen allows itself to eat other snakes. The surprising thing is that a cobra can eat nothing or anyone for almost three months.
What else is different about the king cobra?
She has a kind of hood that reacts to the emotions of the creature. Fear or anger is expressed by the hood tightening. The ribs on the neck help.
What might a cobra be afraid of? Most main enemy- mongoose. He can simply bite through the neck of a cobra at crazy speed. As we have already said, the venom of the royal is considered the most poisonous. Only poison can compare with it Australian taipan, which does not have such impressive dimensions.
Light tiger python is the 4th largest snake in the world
This creature lives in India. Length - 6 meters. What is the difference light python from dark?
- characteristic light spots on the body
- some individuals have a red and some have a pink stripe on both sides of the head
- is less than 3 meters
- long life span - from 20 to 25 years
Typically, the light-colored tiger python does not cause much harm. He can hunt small animals. To give you an idea, no one more sizes an ordinary cat, they will not harm. It is extremely rare to find snakes that are capable of catching wild boars in their nets.
These creatures are incredibly beautiful. But there are fewer and fewer of them in the world. The reason for this is the constant production of shoes, belts and other products from their leather.
Dark tiger python or the heaviest snake in the world
This is a snake that is not at all dangerous. Of course, her appearance is very impressive. After all, 9.15 meters of a creature that has no one knows what is on its mind scares almost every person.
We wrote about the maximum length of an individual snake. On average, their length is from 6 to 8 meters. But this is not the only surprising thing. Average weight- 70 kg. In 2005, a record was set: a snake living in the Snake Park of America, nicknamed “Baby,” weighed as much as 183 kg with a length of 8.2 meters.
As a rule, pythons live in swamps, tropical forests, river valleys.
The python is distinguished by the fact that it swims and dives beautifully. It can spend about half an hour under water.
What is included in the diet of dark tiger pythons?
- birds: waterfowl, chickens, pigeons
- monkey
- Pets
- rarely jackals, pythons and leopards.
On average, this species lives 25 years. Females in snake world They are not the weaker sex, but large and massive creatures. It is the large representatives of this species that can not only attack their prey, but also swallow it. Very often goats, pigs and not the largest deer fell into such a trap.
How do pythons find their prey?
First of all, it is the smell. And the upper labial scutes are equipped with thermolocator pits, which help detect prey, thanks to thermal radiation. These pythons are also capable of long periods of fasting.
Brave and courageous residents of the southeast are not afraid to keep tiger pythons at home. As the superstitions of those parts say, snakes perfectly rid the house of mice and rats. The snake has a calm character and disposition, and it is simply impossible not to fall in love with its beauty. Therefore, dark tiger pythons are a real find for the most best collections zoos. Of course, caring for them is not easy. Here you need to have a large amount of knowledge and extreme calm and composure.
In captivity, pythons feel restless. They require special care and care when caring for them. Therefore, not every zoo employee can handle this mission.
Creature with crocodile eyes
Gigantic green anaconda- an amazing snake that belongs to the subspecies of boas. These creatures were once called water boas.
- Anaconda length is from 5 to 8 meters
- maximum length- 11.43 meters
- maximum weight - more than 130 kg
- average age - 6 years
- maximum age is 28 years.
Yes Yes. This is not a typo at all. Once upon a time, in a terrarium in South America, a green anaconda lived for 28 years.
This is predatory and dangerous creature, which attacks very unexpectedly. The anaconda cunningly lies in wait for its prey, then suddenly attacks.
These snakes live in flowing places of the river, periodically crawling out to bask on the ground under the sun. Sometimes, for the same purpose, the anaconda climbs onto the lower branches of trees. This creature is an excellent swimmer. The strange thing is not that a snake can stay under water for a long time. The paradox is that its nostrils are closed with special valves. During periods of drought, anacondas bury themselves in the mud. Some individuals prefer to fall into torpor. And only when the rains appear again will these individuals return to their normal activities.
The anaconda eats mainly mammals, but in history situations have been recorded when the creature quickly and mercilessly ate a jaguar.
Cannibalism is also inherent in them. Once at the zoo, a green anaconda quickly strangled and then ate a python, which was 3 meters long.
Does the giant anaconda have enemies? In general, no one is afraid of her. Very rarely have there been situations where a jaguar or large caiman managed to eat it. Of course, these prey anacondas were of the smallest size.
Surprising but true. Anaconda extremely rarely attacks humans. Such cases only happened by mistake. If a creature sees a person under water, then it thinks that this is a danger, and only in this case it attacks itself.
The only relevant case occurred in India. A giant anaconda swallowed a boy who was only 13 years old in a matter of seconds.
Surely you have seen films where the anaconda is an eternal predator of people. In life, they prefer to hide away from the human smell.
How do females reproduce? One individual can give birth to even 30 cubs. Babies are born 60 cm long. Interestingly, newborns can swim and even hunt.
The local population of the regions where the anaconda lives eats the meat of these snakes. It is considered incredibly tasty and juicy. That's why residents of South America constantly hunt anacondas. Do you think this is a very dangerous activity? In fact, these hunters have huge reserve knowledge and experience. Therefore, they are confident that they will never fall into a trap. By the way, no one here catches such snakes alone. Groups of the most experienced and skillful hunters are specially assembled and set out for tasty prey.
The largest snake in the world
This is a reticulated python. It is characterized by:
- average length from 4 to 10 meters
- life expectancy about 20 years
- 100 teeth, including fangs. They are considered non-poisonous.
The python got its name because of its unique color. Light diamond-shaped spots on the back are combined with triangles on the sides. These snakes live in South Asia, mainly on mountain slopes or in tropical forests. Pythons prefer life on land; sometimes they like to climb trees or swim in warm water.
Food preferences:
- all kinds of rodents
- birds
- monkey
- Pets.
A reticulated python once ate a 60 kg pig. And once on Borneo, a python almost 7 meters long swallowed a female Malayan bear. These snakes also love to eat bats, which are caught in flight.
As for the record dimensions, there was a reticulated python in the zoo, which reached a size of 12.2 m. This information can be found in numerous sources. But when it came to officially confirming this record, the zoo staff chose to remain silent. Therefore, perhaps the anaconda should be considered the winner in our ranking.
The body structure is also very interesting. The python does not have large bones, its body weight is powerful, just iron muscles. It is thanks to them that a reticulated python can easily strangle a pig or goat. It was once believed that pythons break the bones of their victims. This is actually not true. If pythons broke bones rather than strangling their prey, they could be injured by fragments of the animal's bones.
The reticulated python is not afraid of people. In those parts, pythons can even climb into the chicken coop at night in order to steal their food. People have many chances to hunt pythons, however, it is not clear why no one uses these abilities to this day. There are only three stories in history based on real events how experienced hunters caught reticulated pythons.
Of course, snakes choose their activity time when there are fewer people. Therefore, if too large a population lives nearby, pythons hunt at night. During the daytime they prefer calm, quiet rest in the burrows of other animals or at the base of trees.
Amazing fact. The reticulated python is the first creature to take up residence near Krakatoa after the 1888 eruption.
Information for lovers of exclusive animals as pets. The reticulated python needs a horizontal tropical terrarium. The required volume is several cubic meters. Pythons are heat-loving creatures. During the day they need temperatures up to 30-33 degrees Celsius, and at night - 25-25 degrees. It is recommended to keep one at a time. It is unlikely that you will be able to find this exclusive snake in your city. The exception is the zoo. And to feed them you need not only to sacrifice other animals, but also to have an impressive amount of wallet. Still, these creatures must live in a comfortable environment, namely in the wild.
At all times, snakes have evoked ambiguous and contradictory feelings in people. Some idolized snakes, considering them a symbol of extraordinary wisdom and healing. Others classified them as demonic creatures belonging to the other world. Ignorance and fear have given rise to many different, incredible myths and legends. Most often, these stories were based on the bloodthirstiness of these reptiles, their strength, gluttony and size.
There have always been and are rumors circulating among people that supposedly there are such huge snakes that, just by their appearance, instill fear and sow panic. The length of such giants can reach 18 or even 21 meters! However, in truth, these reptiles never grow to such incredible sizes, although some of the modern snakes, compared to their ancestors, can indeed be quite large.
1 place. Green anaconda
Green anaconda (lat. Eunectes murinus) - lives in South America(in the tropical forests of the Amazon and Orinoco), belongs to the boa constrictor family and is quite rightly considered one of the largest and heaviest snakes on the planet. The anaconda is also called the “water boa.”
Although the reticulated python can be somewhat longer, it cannot surpass it in volume. It can reach 8.8 meters in length, the weight of an adult anaconda is from 227 to 250 kg, and the body diameter is up to 30 cm! I would like to immediately note that female green anacondas significantly larger than males.
2nd place. Reticulated python
Reticulated python (lat. Python reticulatus) - resident of the South and South-East Asia, found in tropical forests, mountain slopes and woodlands. Belongs to the genus of true pythons (lat. Python). Today it is the longest snake: it can grow up to 9.7 m, but its mass is slightly less than that of the anaconda - 158 kg.
However, the largest of them can grow up to 10 meters, the average length is 4-8 m. According to unconfirmed data, in one of the zoos there lived a python whose length was 12.2 m. Interestingly, the longest is a female named Samantha . She was kept in captivity and was over 7.5 meters long. She was caught in Borneo and died in 2002 at the Bronx Zoo (USA).
3rd place. Dark tiger python
Dark brindle, or Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is the third largest poisonous snake in the world. The longest tiger python was more than 9 meters in length, and it weighed almost 100 kg! These snakes live in tropical forests, wetlands and river valleys East India, Myanmar, Cambodia, Nepal, southern regions China, as well as Java, Hainan and Indonesia.
Interestingly, the Burmese python is one of the few predators that can afford to hunt jackals and jaguars, and can even give a real rebuff to the anaconda itself. Despite their significant mass, they swim and dive beautifully, and young individuals are excellent tree climbers.
4th place. King Cobra
King cobra (lat. Ophiophagus hannah) is the largest poisonous snake on the planet, considered the longest among poisonous snakes, belongs to the family of asps (lat. Elapidae). It lives in South and Southeast Asia, mainly in India, Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines. Life expectancy is also impressive - more than 30 years, and it grows throughout life.
It can reach a length of up to 5.5-5.7 meters, weight up to 12.5-12.7 kg. It is worth noting that with their symmetrical, large shields on the head, slender physique and smooth dorsal scales, adders (outwardly) are similar to snakes, which is why they are often called “poisonous snakes.”
5th place. Gaboon viper
Gaboon viper (lat. Bitis gabonica) is a poisonous snake belonging to the genus African vipers. Lives in Central and East Africa south of the Sahara. An unusually thick snake relative to its length. It has a large, wide, flat, triangular head with small eyes, and a very short tail.
With a length of only 2 meters, the viper weighs up to 20 kg! Refers to viviparous snakes. There are usually about 60 cubs in a litter. It is considered the largest of the viper family, and also has the longest poisonous teeth among all representatives of its genus.
6th place. Bushmaster
Bushmaster (lat. Lachesis muta) is a poisonous snake, the largest representative of the viper family living in South America. The length of this viper can reach up to 2.5-3.65 m (rarely up to 4 m). The bushmaster's poisonous teeth can be up to 2.5 cm long, and some of them have teeth that grow up to 4 cm! Bushmaster leads singles night look life. Hunts rodents, and on occasion attacks birds, lizards and other snakes. Can live up to 20 years.
Interesting fact: thanks to the latter archaeological finds, as well as research conducted by the Smithsonian Museum and Research Center, the largest and longest snake in the world is considered to be a boa constrictor (lat. Titanoboa), who lived 60 million years ago in Colombia. Its length was more than 15 m, and it weighed more than a ton (about 1.135 kg).
Any person who has ever met a snake on his way will forever remember this meeting, which cannot be pleasant. If even a harmless thing can cause fear and panic, imagine what could happen when meeting with large snake! At this moment, you don’t think at all about what the largest snake on the planet is, but, nevertheless, as sources say, the chances of dying from a snake bite are much less than from a car accident. To understand these the most dangerous creatures and learn more about them, we have prepared for you a rating that presents the largest snakes in the world.
The largest snake on the planet
Titanoboa is perhaps the largest snake in the entire history of our planet. The length of this giant was thirteen meters, although some experts say fifteen; the weight of the reptile sometimes reached a ton. Titanoboa was discovered quite recently, during excavations in a coal mine near a town in Colombia. The largest snakes in the world, photos of which we will never see in our lifetime, were found in a mine that hundreds of millions of years ago was the mouth of a large reservoir. Along with a fossilized skeleton giant reptile in the mine there were skeletons of many previously unknown fish and turtles. Having studied their find in detail, the experts realized that they were looking at a real sensation.
![](https://i1.wp.com/topkin.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Titanoboa-2.jpg)
According to scientists, this reptile belongs to the family of pseudopods, the same class as anacondas and boa constrictors. The skeleton of this giant really resembles pseudopods, but, as many scientists say, it seems so only at first glance, and insist on including the extinct reptile in its “own” family.
It is curious that these giants appeared after the dinosaurs became extinct. Probably, at that time, these reptiles were the largest among predators, replacing the tyrannosaurs.
![](https://i2.wp.com/topkin.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Titanoboa-3.jpg)
On land, it was very difficult for Titanoboa to move at speed, so it did not pose any serious threat to animals capable of running. But in water, Titanoboa was very, very dangerous. Now it is difficult to establish whether she ate crocodiles or alligators, but we can say with confidence that she was able to cope with them.
Like its modern brethren, titanoboa was not poisonous, but acted with its victims like a boa constrictor - first it wrapped itself around and then squeezed.
I wonder if a creature of this size would simply die in our climate. This is why this snake is so interesting in scientific circles. To maintain vital functions, a thirteen-meter reptile needs a temperature of 30-35 degrees. Apparently, sixty million years ago this was exactly the temperature that reigned on Earth.
![](https://i2.wp.com/topkin.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Setchatyiy-piton.jpg)
Now it is the longest snake on earth, the most impressive individual can be more than ten meters. True, it is more likely to meet pythons up to eight meters. The length of the record holder is, however, according to unverified data, twelve and a half meters.
![](https://i0.wp.com/topkin.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Gigantskaya-anakonda.jpg)
The largest snake in the world, the anaconda, whose videos of its “pranks” have spread all over the Internet, reaches an average of five meters in length. Most giant anaconda more than eleven meters were discovered in 1944 in eastern Colombia, after which they were immediately entered into the Guinness Book of Records.
Nowadays, such huge representatives of anacondas can be rarely seen; the maximum length is nine meters - this is exactly the size of the snake living in the Zoological Society in America.
![](https://i2.wp.com/topkin.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Birmanskiy-piton.jpeg)
This reptile is considered the largest of its subspecies. Average length- five meters, weight reaches seventy kilograms. True, sometimes you can see individuals up to nine meters.
![](https://i1.wp.com/topkin.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Svetlyiy-tigrovyiy-piton.jpg)
Can be distinguished from its previous brother by the peculiar eyes in the middle of the spots located on the sides of the python, as well as light stripes on the head of red or pink shade. The size of this reptile is slightly smaller - the largest Indian reptiles reach six meters in length.
![](https://i2.wp.com/topkin.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Korolevskaya-kobra.jpg)
The longest venomous snake on the planet, some individuals reach almost six meters. On average, the length of a king cobra is four meters.
![](https://i0.wp.com/topkin.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Obyiknovennyiy-udav.jpg)
The reptile is a member of the pseudopod family, averaging four meters in length. Feeding small mammals or feathered, but does not disdain cold-blooded ones.
![](https://i2.wp.com/topkin.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ChYornaya-mamba.jpg)
The most dangerous snake from Africa, with very strong poison. The average length is three meters, but some individuals can “grow” up to four and a half meters. The speed of movement is eleven km/h, during forced marches it can reach nineteen km/h - this is the maximum speed for reptiles.
![](https://i2.wp.com/topkin.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Bushmeyster.jpg)
One of largest representatives poisonous African snakes from the viper family. The average length is three meters, sometimes four. The weight of this giant is five kilograms.
![](https://i1.wp.com/topkin.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Vostochnaya-korichnevaya-zmeya.jpg)
These reptiles have different color variations, but the most common is brown. The most common length is two meters.
![](https://i2.wp.com/topkin.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Gyurza.jpg)
The length of this representative of the genus of giant vipers can sometimes reach two meters; perhaps, this is the largest individual of the viper family. For living creatures, the largest snake in the Caucasus is considered the most dangerous. In terms of lethality, its venom can “lose” only to the venom of a cobra. Moreover, in order to protect itself, the viper is capable of making a throw equal to the length of its body directly at the offender. A viper's bite contains fifty milligrams of poison; after it enters the bloodstream, a person feels severe pain, dizziness and nausea. If help is not provided in time, death can occur in just a couple of hours.
You can meet viper and viper in the North Caucasus, Dagestan. Gyurza – huge snake with a narrow neck and wide body. It is distinguished by an ash-colored upperparts and a dotted gray belly. Gyurza loves to settle on freshly cultivated lands, calmly conquers trees, and her jump shocks the enemy.
It so happens that for most people, snakes are a real phobia, which plunges into horror the person who meets even the most harmless and small snake. In reality, most snakes are not as dangerous as everyone imagines, and most often the animal will choose to escape in an uncomfortable situation. Many of these reptiles carry deadly venom, but only a few species use it in an aggressive manner.
Snakes are one of the most ancient animals on our planet that were able to survive cataclysms and preserve their species as it appeared 167 million years ago. While the smallest snakes rarely reach 10 centimeters in length, the largest snakes can really scare you with their size.
1. Reticulated Pythons
Reticulated pythons are known as the most long snakes on the planet. The length of some individuals can exceed 8 meters. There are descriptions of reticulated pythons in the literature, the length of which reached 10 meters.
This non-venomous snakes which prefer to strangle their prey before eating it. Considering the size of this giant snake, it will not be difficult for her to kill a large animal. Science knows of cases where such a python easily dealt with a pig weighing almost 60 kg.
At the beginning of 2017, news spread around the world that a reticulated python in Indonesia had eaten an entire adult human. When the police managed to open the belly of the 7-meter snake, they found the missing man there, whom they had been looking for for several days. The python simply could not crawl away from the scene of the “crime” and began to digest its victim in the nearby bushes.
2. Anacondas
The giant anaconda cannot boast of its impressive size in length, and is slightly inferior in this reticulated python. However, this is the most massive snake in the world; statements often appeared in the scientific community that the mass of the found anacondas reached up to 200 kg.
In 1944, one of the researchers said that he had found a giant anaconda in the jungles of Colombia, the length of which exceeded 11 meters, but although scientists did not refute these words, they called them into question. However, since then it has not been possible to find a single specimen longer than 9 meters. Even with such a length, the snake can swallow prey that is several times larger.
Anaconda is a water boa constrictor. She is an excellent swimmer and diver, making her difficult to spot in the waters of the Amazon. Most This boa constrictor spends its life in the water, coming ashore only to bask in the sun and normalize the heat balance in its body. Female anacondas are much larger than males. Despite the fact that these snakes prefer not to attack such big catch, as a person, it is still strongly not recommended to walk alone along the muddy banks of the Amazon, something could go wrong.
3. King Cobra
It is difficult for the king cobra to compete with boa constrictors and anacondas, because the latter's size is due to the need to kill prey without using poison. The cobra feels great in this regard; it has excellent poisonous glands that produce strong poison.
The king cobra is the world's largest venomous snake. The average size of such an animal in nature is approximately 4 meters, but at the beginning of the 20th century in London Zoo There lived a specimen whose length was 5.7 meters.
Many people believe that the cobra is the most poisonous snake in the world, but this is not true. Undoubtedly, its poison is deadly to humans, but King Cobra takes not by force, but by quantity. The volume of venom injected in one bite is incredibly large. Cobras can be overly aggressive, but if you study their behavior, you can predict the snake’s movements and even manipulate it, which is what the famous “fakirs” from India use.
4. Dark tiger python
Another largest snake from the python family, which, according to some evidence, can reach a length of 7 meters. However, there are no officially registered individuals with such dimensions, and the largest dark tiger python, the length of which could be measured, lived in Snake Park in Illinois, and its dimensions exceeded 5.7 meters.
Individuals that are found in nature rarely reach 5 meters, however, this is very large snake, being alone with whom is strongly not recommended; such a meeting may not end in your favor. Python bites are very painful, although this snake does not have poison.