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, and the heaviest venomous snake is likely to be the Gaboon viper or possibly the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake – all three of which reach maximum weights in the range of.
There are eleven living snakes, listed below according to their maximum known or reported mass, that have a maximum mass that may reach or exceed. Pending the acceptance of its taxonomic status, the Bolivian anaconda may also merit inclusion, and the northern and southern variations of African rock python could be considered separately.
In terms of length, in addition to those listed here, there are two other species that may possibly reach a length of or more – the Oenpelli python and the olive python – however, the information available about those 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 6.35 m 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.
| Rank | Common name | Scientific name | Family | Mass | Image | Length | Range map |
| 1 | Green anaconda | Eunectes murinus | Boidae | May exceed, validity questionable , reliable, maximum among 780 specimens caught over a seven-year period 1992–98 Average among 45 specimens Generally considered the heaviest | May exceed, not firmly verified , somewhat reliable , reliable, maximum among 780 specimens caught over a seven-year period 1992–98 Average among 45 specimens Minimum adult length Generally considered the second longest | ||
| 2 | Burmese python | Python bivittatus | Pythonidae | , reliable, for "Baby" in 1998 | , reliable, for "Baby" ca. 1999 Minimum adult length | ||
| 3 | Reticulated python | Malayopython reticulatus | Pythonidae | Up to, somewhat reliable , somewhat reliable, for "Medusa" in 2011 Almost, somewhat reliable, for "Twinkie" in 2014 , somewhat reliable, for "Fluffy" in 2010 , reasonably reliable, for "Colossus" in 1954 , somewhat reliable, for "Samantha" in 2002 , reliable, wild specimen in 1999 | , not firmly verified , somewhat reliable, for "Samantha" in 2002 , somewhat reliable, for "Medusa" in 2011 , somewhat reliable, for "Fluffy" in 2010 , reliable, wild specimen in 1999 , reasonably reliable, for "Colossus" in 1963 Minimum adult length Generally considered the world's longest | ||
| 4 | African rock python | Python sebae | Pythonidae | Up to, not firmly verified | Up to, not firmly verified Minimum adult length | ||
| 5 | Indian python | Python molurus | Pythonidae | , not firmly verified , reliable | , not firmly verified , reliable | ||
| 6 | Amethystine python | Simalia amethistina | Pythonidae | Little information about size is available | Some reports up to or exceeding, not firmly verified , somewhat reliable In excess of Typically Minimum adult length Little information about size is available | ||
| 7 | Yellow anaconda | Eunectes notaeus | Boidae | They commonly weigh 25 to 35 kg, though large specimens can weigh 40 to 55 kg or even more. | , reasonably reliable Typically maximum among 86 specimens in a field study | South America | |
| 8 | Boa constrictor | Boa constrictor | Boidae | More than | Possibly up to A much larger report was debunked | ||
| 9 | Dark-spotted anaconda | Eunectes deschauenseei | Boidae | , validity unknown | |||
| 10 | Cuban boa | Chilabothrus angulifer | Boidae | ||||
| 11 | Papuan python | Apodora papuana | Pythonidae | Little information about size is available | One reasonably reliable report of Often reaches Most specimens Little information about size is available |