The size of snakes often sparks curiosity about the largest serpents on Earth. The term “biggest” can refer to overall length or total body mass. This article explores contenders for Earth’s biggest snake, considering both living and ancient species.
The Anaconda: Earth’s Heaviest Snake
The green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) is the heaviest snake in the world. These constrictors average 5.5 meters (18 feet) in length, with some reaching 9 meters (30 feet). Their girth, up to 30 centimeters (1 foot) in diameter, contributes to their weight, often exceeding 250 kilograms (550 pounds).
Green anacondas are semi-aquatic, thriving in the swamps, marshes, and slow-moving rivers of South America, particularly within the Amazon and Orinoco basins and the flooded Llanos grasslands. Their eyes and nostrils are positioned on top of their heads, an adaptation that allows them to remain almost entirely submerged while waiting for prey. As opportunistic carnivores, their diet encompasses a wide range of animals, including fish, birds, mammals like capybaras and deer, and even larger creatures such as caimans and jaguars.
These predators employ an ambush hunting strategy, lying in wait before striking and coiling around prey to suffocate it. After consuming a large meal, green anacondas can go for several months without needing to eat again. Female green anacondas are larger than males.
Other Colossal Living Snakes
While the green anaconda is the heaviest, the reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) claims the title of the world’s longest snake. These serpents regularly exceed 6.25 meters (20 feet) in length, with historical records of individuals reaching up to 10 meters (32.8 feet). Despite their length, they are more slender than anacondas, with weights typically ranging from 75 to 175 kilograms (165 to 385 pounds), although a captive specimen was recorded at 158.8 kilograms (350 pounds).
Reticulated pythons are native to Southeast Asia, inhabiting tropical rainforests, wetlands, and grasslands, often found near water sources. Their distinctive net-like pattern provides camouflage within their diverse habitats. The Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is another significant contender, commonly reaching lengths between 3 and 5 meters (10 to 16 feet) and weighing over 90.7 kilograms (200 pounds).
The African rock python (Python sebae or Python natalensis) is Africa’s largest snake, with lengths ranging from 3 to 5 meters (10 to 16 feet) and some reaching 6.5 meters (21 feet). These pythons can also weigh over 90 kilograms (200 pounds). While large, their mass is less substantial compared to the green anaconda.
Prehistoric Giants
Beyond living species, Earth’s history reveals Titanoboa cerrejonensis. This extinct snake lived approximately 58 to 60 million years ago during the Paleocene Epoch. Its fossils were discovered in the Cerrejón coal mines in Colombia.
Paleontologists estimate an average adult Titanoboa measured around 12.8 meters (42 feet) in length. Its estimated weight ranged from 1,135 kilograms (2,500 pounds) to over 1,800 kilograms (4,000 pounds), making it larger than any snake alive today. This size suggests the tropical climate of its era was warm, with average temperatures estimated between 30 and 34 degrees Celsius, facilitating the growth of such large cold-blooded reptiles. Titanoboa was likely a semi-aquatic apex predator, preying on large fish, turtles, and crocodiles, much like modern anacondas.