Top 10 largest snakes in the world

key point:

• The world's largest snake is the 30-foot-long green anaconda. Green anacondas live in Brazilian swamps and the Amazon rainforest, where they feed on crushed pigs and deer.
• The Burmese python inhabits swamplands in Southeast Asia and China, where it is vulnerable due to habitat destruction, trapping and killing for skin and food.
• The king cobra, which can grow up to 13 feet long, isn't the world's longest snake, but it's the world's longest venomous snake.

What is the largest snake in the world? What is the longest snake in the world? With more than 3,000 species of snakes living worldwide, there are many candidates to consider.

The largest snakes listed here were chosen because of their exceptional length.

Snakes of great length and weight rank even higher on the list.

With that being said, let's discover the largest snake in the world:

#10. Brown King Snake – 11 feet long

Brown king snakes ( Pseudechis australis ) can grow up to 11 feet long. Although the snake was 11 feet long, it only weighed around 13 pounds. The brown king snake is not the largest snake in the world, but it is quite large.

This venomous snake lives in the grasslands, woods and bushes of central Australia. A mixture of yellow and brown scales helps camouflage it as it moves its long body in search of frogs and lizards. With a dwindling population, its conservation status is Least Concern.

#9. King Cobra – 13 feet long

The king cobra ( Ophiophagus hannah ) can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh 20 pounds. The King Cobra is not the largest snake in the world, but it does hold the title of longest venomous snake on Earth!

They live in India and Southeast Asia and are found in tropical rainforest habitats. When these snakes "stand up," or raise their upper body off the ground in response to a threat, they make themselves appear larger. Its conservation status is Vulnerable, but it is a protected species in Vietnam.

The hood of the king cobra is actually a rib. They are known for their size, however, they use their voices to protect themselves in the wild. They have a very long lifespan compared to other snakes and their biggest predator is the mongoose.

#8. Python – 13 feet long

Both the boa constrictor and the king cobra can grow up to 13 feet long. However, the boa constrictor ranks higher in the list of the largest snakes in the world as it is the heavier of the two, weighing up to 60 lbs. Newborn pythons measure 2 feet.

These are giant snakes, but not the largest in the world. However, they are in it. These snakes live in South America. Some of them live in tropical rainforests, while others live in semi-desert habitats.

#7. Black Mamba – 14 feet long

The black mamba ( Dendroaspis polylepis ) can grow up to 14 feet long and is the seventh largest snake in the world. This venomous snake lives in the savannas of eastern and central Africa. It's not the biggest snake in the world, but it's pretty long.

The slender black mamba weighs only about 3 pounds, which allows it to move its slender body with ease at 12.5 miles per hour. The conservation status of this reptile is of least concern, with a stable population.

#6. African rock python – 16 feet long

African rock pythons ( Python sebae ) can grow up to 16 feet long. This reptile can weigh up to 250 pounds. It lives in grasslands and savannas of Africa.

The snake wraps its massive body around its prey and suffocates it with its powerful muscles. These snakes have been known to eat antelope, crocodiles, warthogs, and other large prey.

#5. Indian python – 20 feet long

The fifth largest snake in the world is the Indian python ( Python molurus ), which can grow up to 20 feet, sometimes even longer. They weigh approximately 150 lbs. 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 catches prey with its powerful jaws, then wraps its body around the prey to suffocate it. These snakes are huge, but they're still not the biggest snakes in the world.

Unfortunately, the conservation status of this reptile is Vulnerable. It is hunted for its hide and in some places eaten as food. Habitat loss has also affected the snake population.

#4. Burmese python – 23 feet long

The Burmese python ( Python bivitattus ) is one of the largest snakes in the world, reaching lengths of up to 23 feet and weighing up to 200 pounds. This reptile lives in the swamps of Southeast Asia, including China. Its body has a circumference, or thickness, equal to that of a pole! Like the other pythons on this list, the Burmese python wraps its strong body around its prey to suffocate it.

With a dwindling population, their conservation status is fragile. These snakes are captured and killed for their skin and used as food. Habitat destruction has also resulted in fewer prey for this snake, thus reducing its overall population.

Burmese pythons have become an invasive species in the Florida Everglades after escaping captivity as pets. Recently, the largest invasive Burmese python was caught in Florida. The female snake was 18 feet long and weighed 215 pounds. Although they can weigh as much as a person, they are not the largest snakes in the world.

The Southwest Florida Conservancy has been implanting radio transmitters in male scout snakes and releasing them into the wild to locate breeding colonies where large, fertile females can be found.

They're trying to drive the females out of the wild, hoping to slow their population growth.

#3. Amethyst Python – 27 feet long

The amethyst python ( Morelia amethistina ) can grow up to 27 feet long and weigh 33 pounds, making it the third largest snake in the world. Females are usually larger than males. This reptile lives in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Its habitats include tropical forests, savannas, and shrublands. The snake's conservation status is No Concern, with a stable population.

While these snakes are large, they are not the largest snakes in the world.

#2. Reticulated python – 29 feet long

Reticulated pythons ( Python reticulatus ) can grow up to 29 feet long and weigh up to 595 pounds! It is known as the reticulated python because of its mixed pattern of tan and black scales. Female reticulated pythons are usually larger than males. This reptile lives in the rainforests and swamps of Southeast Asia, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Their conservation status is the least of concern.

#1. Green Anaconda – 30 feet long

The green anaconda ( Eunectes murinus ) is the largest snake in the world! It grows to 30 feet long and weighs up to 550 pounds. If you stretched a green python to its full length, it would be about as long as a normal school bus! Typically, female green pythons are larger than males.

The snake, which claims to be the largest snake in the world, lives in the Amazon rainforest and swamps of Brazil. They are carnivores that wrap their huge bodies around wild boar and deer prey and squeeze them until the prey dies.

Summary of Top 10 Largest Snakes in the World

Take a look back at the top 10 snakes that inhabit our planet:

other dangerous animals found in the world

Not only is the lion one of the largest big cats after the tiger, but it is also one of the most dangerous. Lions are the top predators of the African savannah and have no natural enemies, making them even more dangerous when defending their territory or their cubs from other predators. The king of the jungle is estimated to kill an average of 22 people a year in Tanzania alone. While deaths do occur elsewhere, global figures are not detailed.

The African buffalo is considered one of the most dangerous animals in Africa as they are known to lie in wait for their pursuers and then charge at them at the last moment. Hunters are wary of the large cattle of sub-Saharan Africa, of which there are five subspecies, including the most aggressive Cape buffalo. Cape buffalo are at the height of their attacks when the herd's calves are under attack.

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