From a venomous snake with fangs over 1/2 an inch long to a giant that can weigh more
than a Grizzly bear, today we look at the 15 BIGGEST snake species in the world!
Number 15.
“Black Mamba”- Dwelling in the rocky hills and savannas of southern and eastern Africa
the Black Mamba is one of the most dangerous snakes in the world and one of the largest.
What it lacks in girth it makes up for in length.
This venomous aggressor can be anywhere from 7 to 14 feet long while weighing a skinny
3 and a half pounds.
This long sleek design allows the Black Mamba to travel up to 12.5 miles per hour, which
is used to evade predators.
They feast on chickens, bats, bushbabies, sometimes even cobras and are known to be
one of the snakes most hostile towards humans.
The Black Mamba can live up to 11 years and gets it’s name from the dark blue inside
of its mouth that appears black to prey.
Number 14.
“Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake”- The biggest Rattlesnake in the world the Eastern
Diamond Rattlesnake makes its home in southeastern coastal plain of the United States.
It can weigh over 10 pounds and is 3 to 6 feet long on average while the longest ever
found was 8 feet long.
Though they're usually found in dryer areas, they are amazing swimmers and can be found
on islands off the coast due to their prowess.
You may recognize the Eastern Diamondback from the Gadsden Flag which featured the “Don’t
Tread on Me” moniker and was one of the first flags of the United States.
The Diamondback’s diet consists mainly of rabbits and small mammals.
Their average lifespan is 15 to 20 years though they are rarely found over the age of ten
due to hunting and other human interference.
Number 13.
“Eastern Indigo Snake”-Found in the southeastern part of the country, the Eastern Indigo Snake
is the longest non-venomous snake in the United States.
Weighing up to 11 pounds, the longest ever found was just over 9 feet long.
When the Eastern Indigo Snake is under attack it vibrates its tail and hisses trying to
mimic a rattlesnake in hopes of being mistaken for its venomous kin.
They are also mostly immune to the venom of rattlesnakes who they sometimes feed on.
Their diet consists of turtles, frogs, birds, eggs and small mammals which they prey upon
by smacking the animal on rocks, trees or the ground and then swallowing them whole.
The Eastern Indigo Snake can live up to 21 years in the wild and goes by many different
colloquial nicknames such as: blue indigo snake, blue bull snakes, black snake and the
blue gopher snake.
Number 12.
“Inland and Coastal Taipans” - Two of the biggest snakes in Australia are closely
related, the Inland Taipan and the Coastal Taipan.
The Inland Taipan lives in the eastern part of the Australian Outback and can grow up
to 8 feet long and weigh up to 22 pounds on average.
The Inland Taipan is regarded as the most venomous land snake in the world with a venom
50 times more powerful than that of a cobra, one bite from an Inland Taipan is enough to
poison a human 100 times over.
The longer, less hefty Coastal Taipan slithers throughout the northern coast of Australia
and southern New Guinea.
The Coastal Taipan has an average weight of 10 pounds and length of anywhere between 4
feet at its shortest and 10 feet at its longest.
The Coastal Taipan is the third most venomous land snake in the world and is known for having
the longest fangs of any snake measuring over half an inch long.
Both of the Taipans have diets of rats and mice and live from 10-15 years.
Number 11.
“King Brown Snake”-The King Brown Snake also known as the Mulga Snake hails from ‘the
land down-under’ as well.
It can weigh anywhere from 6 to 13 pounds and be up 10 feet long.
King Brown Snakes hunt amphibians and other reptiles but have a distinct appetite for
other snakes including other King Browns.
They can get into trouble when they try to make a meal out of the Poisonous Cane Toad
(which is found in the same area) Though they are immune to most snake venoms, it can’t
survive that of the Cane Toad.
For this reason, the King Brown Snake population has been steadily dropping in northern Australia.
Number 10.
“King Cobra”- King Cobras make their homes in the southern and southeastern parts of
Asia and live off lizards, birds and small mammals.
They weigh 20 pounds on average and can grow up to 18 feet and occasionally longer, making
them the longest species of venomous snake in the world.
Though ‘cobra’ is in their name they aren’t actually a member of the cobra family, they
belong to a genus all their own and are more closely related to mambas than cobras.
When they are under attack from predators like the mongoose, the muscles and ribs on
their necks extend outwards to create an iconic hood which they use to try and intimidate
the foe.
They also growl when raised, using their unique respiratory tract to emit short bursts of
air that sound like deep guttural tones.
These dangerous yet entrancing snakes can live up to 20 years.
Number 9.
“Papuan Olive Python” - Also known as the Apodora, the Papuan Olive Python lives
in Papua New Guinea.
It has an average length of 13 feet and weight of 50 pounds.
Though there isn’t much known about them due to their scarcity when they are found
it is usually in dense forest areas.
Papuan Python’s are another snake that is found to be ophiophagous or snake-eating and
will even eat their own relatives though their main diet consists of small mammals.
They are mostly nocturnal and actually make good pets as they aren’t hostile towards
humans.
Number 8.
“Yellow Anaconda”- The Yellow Anaconda of Southern South America is on average 9-11
feet long, but has also been found longer.
Its average weight is 55-80 pounds and dwells mainly in wetland areas as most of its hunting
and breeding are done in the water.
The breeding balls that they form in rivers and lakes can last over a month.
These breeding balls usually are made up of one large female and multiple males that fight
each other over the right to procreate.
The feed on turtles, fish, caimans and sometimes larger animals such as deer or capybaras.They
are usually smaller than their relative the Green Anaconda and can sometimes even become
dinner for them.
Yellow Anacondas are much rarer than the Green Anaconda and may soon be on the endangered
species list due to poaching and the pet trade.
Number 7.
“Boa Constrictor”- Making its home in Central and South America the Boa Constrictor
usually weighs more than 100 pounds and be over 13 feet long.
Though they are solitary creatures, the female Boa Constrictor can give birth to up to 70
babies at once.
They hunt anything from monkeys to wild pigs which they constrict and swallow whole.
These snakes lack true fangs so instead they use tiny hook-like teeth to ensnare their
prey.
If these teeth fall-out or are damaged during the struggle the Boa Constrictor can regenerate
them.
Bats are one of their favorite meals and they will hang from trees outside of caves waiting
to catch and asphyxiate the next tasty morsel.
Boa Constrictors can live up to an amazing 30 years in the wild.
Number 6.
“Indian Rock Python”-Found in India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies the Indian Rock
Python can weigh up to 200 pounds and grow upwards of 20ft long.
This endangered species has been hunted for hundred of years for their skin, for food
and for their blood which certain locals think has medicinal benefits.
They've also been hunted out of fear and for sport as their giant size caused the Indian
Rock Python to be viewed as a trophy animal.
Because they are very slow moving they are easy pickings for poachers.
They sustain themselves on eating birds, fish and mammals of all sizes and contrary to the
habits of most snakes the females care for their eggs after they are laid.
The mothers will protect their nests up until they hatch only seldomly leaving to feed themselves.
Number 5.
“Burmese Python”- With a weight that can reach up to 200 pounds and an average length
from 16 to 23 feet the Burmese Python is a formidable predator.
This python makes its home in the marshes and jungles of southeast asia and is on the
brink of being one of the endangered species due to its beautiful skin, used for everything
from boots to purses and its popularity as a pet.
Because of its enormous size and difficult to maintain diet, many of the Burmese Pythons
that are kept as pets either die or are released into the wild in areas they can’t survive.
Their diet mainly consists of birds, rodents and other small mammals which they track with
heat-sensing jaws and tongues that trace chemicals.
If taken care of Burmese Pythons can live up to 25 years in captivity.
Number 4.
“African Rock Python”- Reaching a maximum length of 25 feet and sometimes weighing over
200 pounds the African Rock Python is the biggest snake in the African continent.
The African Rock Python gorges itself on almost any kind of animal.
Anything from antelopes, monkeys, monitor lizards, dogs and goats can fall prey to the
winding squeeze of this giant python.
On one occasion in 1958 an African Rock Python that was hunted was found with a young Nile
crocodile inside of it.
The biggest of these pythons were found in the central east coast of Africa while smaller
ones are scattered throughout.
The African Rock Python can live from 18-27 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity.
Number 3.
“Amethystine Python”-Commonly known as the Scrub Python this beast of a snake has
been found at 28ft long and over 200 pounds at its largest.
They are mainly found in northeastern Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and generally
eat possums, rats and birds while the larger of the species have been known to eat wallabies
and small kangaroos.
This nocturnal predator is the largest non-venomous snake in Australia and is called Amethystine
due to the deep purple scales on its back.
The Amethystine Python can live an average of 14 years and gets its nickname because
it dwells in the semi-arid scrubland of Australia.
In Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, however, they live predominantly in the rainforest.
Number 2.
“Reticulated Python”- The gigantic serpent known as the Reticulated Python can grow to
a whopping 350 pounds and 28 and half feet at the longest.
It devours almost any mammal that lives in its stomping grounds of southeast Asia.
Creatures such as rodents, primates pigs, even pet cats and dogs aren’t safe from
the legendary snake.
They haven’t been particularly known to consume humans but the larger ones could easily
if provoked or starved.
There have been several instances of Reticulated Pythons that were kept as pets turning on
their owners squeezing and suffocating them.
They are mostly found in wooded or forest regions and also populate many of the small
islands in southeast Asia due to their incredible swimming ability.
Amazingly the biggest python in the world can lay up to 80 eggs at a time and some of
the hatchlings are over two feet long.
The Reticulated Python can live from 15-20 years in the wild.
Number 1.
”Green Anaconda”- The biggest snake in the world is the massive Green Anaconda.
This behemoth can grow up to an astounding 550 pounds which is larger than some Grizzly
Bears.
These slithery monsters can be up to 30 feet long on average which is about two times longer
than a giraffe is tall.
The Green Anaconda makes its home in the Orinoco and Amazon basin in South America and consume
wild pigs, deers, birds, turtles, caimans and sometimes the unsuspecting jaguar.
Because they can eat such giant prey they can live off the nutrients for months on end.
Like the Reticulated Python they are amazing swimmers and mainly wait on the edges of lakes
or rivers until their dinner comes to drink.
When their target’s guard is down they strike, latching on and tightly coiling around the
animal until it suffocates.
Then they stretch their jaws and swallow the victim whole.
The females give live birth to over 30 younglings which can also be over 2 feet long.
The Green Anaconda can live up to ten years in the wild.