Pythons are large, non-venomous snakes known for their impressive size and powerful constricting abilities. One species stands out as the world’s longest. This article identifies this record-holding python, explores its natural history, and compares it to other large snakes.
The Reticulated Python: Unveiling the Record Holder
The reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) is the world’s longest snake. While average adults are around 4.78 meters (15.7 feet), some individuals are much longer. A specimen from Balikpapan, Indonesia, measured 6.95 meters (22 feet 10 inches), and a debated historical record from 1912 claimed 10 meters (32 feet 9.5 inches).
Reticulated pythons can also be heavy, with average individuals weighing around 170 kg (375 pounds) and some large specimens reaching up to 270 kg (595 pounds). A captive python named Medusa, measured in 2011, was 7.67 meters (25 feet 2 inches) and weighed 158.8 kg (350 pounds). Their complex color pattern, featuring diamond or X-shaped blotches in black, white, yellow, and red on a grayish-tan body, gives them their “reticulated” or net-like name.
Life of the Reticulated Python
Reticulated pythons are native to South and Southeast Asia, distributed from the Nicobar Islands and Bangladesh eastward through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They inhabit diverse environments like rainforests, woodlands, and grasslands, often near water sources. They can also be found in human-disturbed areas such as agricultural, suburban, or urban settings.
As ambush predators, reticulated pythons wait for prey to come within striking distance. They kill by constriction, wrapping their bodies around the animal until it suffocates. Their diet varies by size; smaller pythons eat rodents and bats, while larger ones prey on civets, primates, pigs, and deer. They may also hunt domestic animals near human settlements. Though shy, their size means they can be defensive if threatened.
Other Giants: Comparing Pythons
While the reticulated python is the longest, other large python species and constrictors are notable. The Burmese python (Python bivittatus) from Southeast Asia is considered the second-longest python. It can be heavy, sometimes weighing more than a reticulated python of similar length due to its bulkier build. However, Burmese pythons do not reach the extreme lengths of reticulated pythons, typically growing to 3.7 to 6 meters (12 to 20 feet).
The African rock python (Python sebae) is Africa’s largest snake, with some individuals reaching up to 6.5 meters (21 feet). It does not attain the record lengths of the reticulated python. The green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) of South America is the world’s heaviest snake. Though shorter than the reticulated python, with verified lengths up to 6.27 meters (20 feet 7 inches), its large girth and mass, over 200 kg (440 pounds), make it a giant. The reticulated python is the longest snake, while the green anaconda is the heaviest.