List of largest snakes


The largest living snakes in the world, measured either by length or by weight, are various members of the Boidae and Pythonidae families. They include anacondas, pythons and boa constrictors, which are all non-venomous
constrictors. The longest venomous snake, with a length up to, is the king cobra, while contesters for the heaviest title include the Gaboon viper and the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake. All of these three species reach a maximum mass in the range of.
There are fourteen or fifteen living snake species that clearly have a maximum mass of at least, as shown in the table below. These include all species that reach a length of at least. There are also two other species that reach nearly this length the Oenpelli python, and the olive python. The information available about these two species is rather limited. The Oenpelli python, in particular, has been called the rarest python in the world.
It is important to be aware that there is considerable variation in the maximum reported size of these species, and most measurements are not truly verifiable, so the sizes listed should not be considered definitive. In general, the reported lengths are likely to be somewhat overestimated. In spite of what has been, for many years, a standing offer of a large financial reward for a live, healthy snake over long by the New York Zoological Society, no attempt to claim the reward has ever been made.
Although it is generally accepted that the reticulated python is the world's longest snake, most length estimates longer than have been called into question. It has been suggested that confident length records for the largest snakes must be established from a dead body soon after death, or alternatively from a heavily sedated snake, using a steel tape and in the presence of witnesses, and must be published. At least one reticulated python was measured under full anesthesia at, and somewhat less reliable scientific reports up to have appeared.
Although weight is easier to measure reliably than length, a significant factor in the weight of a snake is whether it has been kept in captivity and provided an unusual abundance of food in conditions that also cause reduced levels of activity. Moreover, the weight of wild specimens is often reduced as a symptom of parasite infestations that are eliminated by veterinary care in captivity. Thus, the largest weights measured for captive specimens often greatly exceed the largest weights observed in the wild for the same species. This phenomenon may particularly affect the weight measurements for anaconda species that are especially difficult to keep in captivity due to their semi-aquatic nature, resulting in other species having larger weights measured in captivity. In particular, the green anaconda is an especially massive snake if only observations in the wild are considered.

Largest serpent species in the world

By families

Boas ([Boidae])

  • The most massive living member of this highly diverse reptilian order is the green anaconda of the neotropical riverways. These may exceed and, although such reports are not fully verified. Rumors of larger anacondas also persist. The reticulated python of Southeast Asia is longer but more slender, and has been reported to measure as much as in length and to weigh up to.

    Typical snakes ([Colubridae])

  • Among the colubrids, the most diverse snake family, the largest snakes may be the keeled rat snake at up to. The genus Drymarchon also contains some of the largest colubrids such as the eastern indigo snake '' and the indigo snake which can both reach lengths of almost. The former may grow to weights of or greater.
  • Another large species in this family is the false water cobra reaching a length of, and a mass of, one of the largest venomous snakes in South America. The tiger rat snake, also living in South America, can reach a length of. The yellow-bellied puffing snake can exceed a length of.
  • The largest racer, the Hispaniola racer, at an average length of, is the longest snake species in the West Indies.

    Elapids ([Elapidae])

  • The longest venomous snake is the king cobra, with lengths of up to and a weight of up to. It is also the largest elapid. The second-longest venomous snake in the world is possibly the African black mamba, which can grow up to. Among the genus Naja, the longest member arguably may be the forest cobra, which can reportedly grow up to. In the case of the Indian cobra, the majority of adult specimens range from in length. Some specimens, particularly those from Sri Lanka, may grow to lengths of, but this is relatively uncommon.

    Blind snakes ([Leptotyphlopidae])

  • The largest blind snake Giant blind snake is a female with a snout-to-vent length of plus a tail long.

    Lamprophids ([Lamprophiidae])

  • The largest lamprophids Cape file snake is a medium to large snake. With an average total length of about, specimens of total length have been recorded. It has a very flat head, and its body is strikingly triangular in cross-section.

    Vipers ([Viperidae])

  • The Gaboon viper, a very bulky species with a maximum length of around, is typically the heaviest non-constrictor snake and the biggest member of the viper family, with unverified specimens reported to as much as. The wild verified largest specimen of total length, caught in 1973, was found to have weighed with an empty stomach. And therefore, the heaviest venomous snake and also the largest species of viper in present usually is an eastern diamondback rattlesnake with a maximum reliable mass in and maximum length of. While not quite as heavy, another member of the viper family is longer still, the South American bushmaster, with a maximum length of.
  • The rattlesnake genus Crotalus, which includes the aforementioned eastern diamondback rattlesnake and western diamondback rattlesnake, reaches a maximum length of, and according to W. A. King one large specimen had a length of and a mass of. The third largest rattlesnake is the Mexican west coast rattlesnake, which reaches long and mass, and one captive-raised male was weighed at in 2020.

    Remarkable individual specimens

Individual specimens considered among largest measured for their respective species include the following:
  • Green anacondas:
  • *Specimen killed in February 2013 in the state of Acre, Brazil in the municipality of Feijó reportedly weighing.
The skeleton of this specimen was apparently preserved at the Federal University of Acre and reportedly measured, which implies that the live snake must have been about to. Weight appears not reliably verified, but is plausible for a bulky specimen of that length based on allometric scaling of verified bulky specimens of shorter length.
  • *Specimen caught at Vale das Palmeiras, Guarantã do Norte, Mato Grosso, Brazil, 26 August 2011 reportedly measuring and weighing
  • *Captive specimen at Reptilarium du Larzac, France measured as and
  • *Captive specimen named "Pippi" at Den lille dyrehage in Arendal, Norway measured and weighed
  • Burmese pythons:
  • *Wild caught Burmese python female♀ caught in the Big Cypress National Preserve in eastern Collier County, Florida by Jake Waleri and Stephen Gauta on July 10, 2023. Waleri and several friends caught the large snake. They brought her to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida to have her officially documented. New current world record longest Burmese Python recorded by official measurement July 12, 2023.
  • *"Baby" a captive Burmese python female♀, ; "Baby" was kept at Serpent Safari in Gurnee, Illinois, until her death at almost 27 years old, euthanized due to deteriorating condition caused by a tumor in 2006. Several live measurements and post mortem measurement.
  • *"Hexxie" a captive Burmese python female♀, and still growing; "Hexxie" lives in a terraced house in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England, with owner Marcus Hobbs.
  • *Wild-caught non-native Burmese python female♀, and measured in diameter; She was carrying 122 developing eggs. Caught by a team of biologists in Everglades, Florida, June 22, 2022.
  • *Wild-caught non-native Burmese python male♂, and measured in diameter; caught by Okeechobee Veterinary Hospital, Florida, July 31, 2009.
  • *Wild-caught non-native Burmese python female♀, ; caught in Miami-Dade County, Florida, October 2, 2020.
  • *Wild-caught non-native Burmese python female♀, ; caught in Miami-Dade County, Florida, May 11, 2012. Intact specimen measured post mortem by University of Florida.
  • *Wild-caught non-native Burmese python female♀, ; caught by University of Florida wildlife biologist in Miami-Dade County, Florida, July 9, 2015. Intact specimen measured post mortem by University of Florida.
  • *Wild-caught non-native Burmese python female♀, ; caught by Nicholas Banos and Leonardo Sanchez, Everglades, Florida, April 1, 2017.
  • *Wild-caught non-native Burmese python female♀, ; she was carrying 73 developing eggs. Caught by Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, April 7, 2019.
  • Reticulated pythons:
  • *"Medusa" a captive reticulated python female♀ ; "Medusa" is kept at the Edge of Hell haunted house attraction in Kansas City, Missouri, and was last officially measured in 2011.
  • * "Samantha" a captive reticulated python female♀, somewhat reliable in 2002
  • *"Fluffy" a captive reticulated python female♀ ; "Fluffy" was last officially measured live on September 30, 2009, and died at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio, on October 26, 2010, due to an apparent tumor. She was 18 years old. 24 feet confirmed when measured at death.
  • *"Colossus", a captive reticulated python male♂, skeletal measurement ; "Colossus" was kept at the Highland Park Zoo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, died in April 1963, and the body was deposited at the Carnegie Museum.
  • *"Twinkie" a captive reticulated python female♀ ; "Twinkie" found sanctuary in the 2014 Guinness World Records book as the world's largest albino python in captivity. She was a fixture at The Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley, CA.
  • *"Super Snake", a captive reticulated python 14-year-old female♀, ; "Super Snake" is kept at the National Aquarium in Al Qana, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
  • *Wild-caught reticulated python Female♀ adjusted post-mortem measurement, unreliable, originally measured alive at unreliably, using an unknown method, estimated weight upon capture, unreliable; caught April 7, 2016, Paya Terubong district, Penang Island, Malaysia. Died April 10, 2016.
  • *Wild-caught reticulated python unknown sex, unverified; Was killed on October 5, 2017, Pekanbaru, Indonesia.
  • *Wild-caught reticulated python unknown sex, ; Probably, this is largest snake in Phuket in last decade. Caught by Ruamjai Rescue Foundation, December 18, 2014, Phuket, Thailand.
  • Australian scrub pythons:
  • *"Maximus" a captive scrub python male♂,, at the peak weighed about, when he was last weighed and measured in 2008; "Maximus" is believed to be the largest Australian native snake in captivity. He is kept at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
  • *Wild-caught scrub python unknown sex, ; caught by Machans Beach in Cairns, Queensland, November 14, 2017.
  • *Wild-caught scrub python unknown sex, ; caught by Speewah in Mareeba, Queensland, unknown date.
  • *Wild-caught scrub pythons unknown sex Both of were more ; caught by Speewah in Mareeba, Queensland, October 24, 2016.
  • *Wild-caught scrub python unknown sex, ; caught by Speewah in Mareeba, Queensland, February 6, 2017.