Largest Snake on Earth?

[msubigdawg]

I have been wondering what the largest species of snake on earth is. I have always thought it was the Reticulated Python, but TV shows always say the Anaconda is the largest. If someone could give me the top largest snakes in order by size that would be great. This is what I have always thought they were.
1. Retic
2. Anaconda
3. Burmese
4. Rock Python

[susan]

anaconda

[Rhonda]

I believe the reticulated python is the longest snake in the world however the anaconda can out weigh the retic by a fair amount because of it's huge girth. therefor it is the heaviest in the world. I think this is where the description "largest snake in the world" gets confusing. This title is also based on snakes in the wild, in general, because boidae in captivity can become obese. Actually in captivity, the largest snake on record is a burmese python named "baby" owned by lou Daddona owner of Serpent Safari in Chicago. At 25ft long and over 400lbs she is huge!

[daver676]

Originally posted by Rhonda
At 25ft long and over 400lbs she is huge!

Read: "Severely obese" (some say on purpose)

[Removed_2815]

Right, it's tricky semantics:
Largest Snake in the world = Green Anaconda
Longest Snake in the world = Reticulated Python
Cheers,
R

[JD@reptiles]

burmese are like a childs toy to a conda or retic, lol.

[allamericanPD]

retics are the longest and anacondas are the heaviest

[crossley]

The largest documented length for a snake in a North American collection was a reticulated python that was kept at the Pittsburgh Zoo in the 1950's. In 1956 it was reliably measured at 28 ft. 6ins. Its weight was estimated at over 320 pounds. There is a picture of it in Pope's "The Giant Snakes" and its name was appropriately enough "Colossus". Grant

[Samba]

I heard Baby passed away, any new contenders for her 'heavyweight' title?

[anders_240sx]

Theres a 48 or 52 foot retic in an indonesian zoo (world record) ... I am sure at that length it would weigh more than any large anaconda ... IMO

[Cerastes]

Crossley AKA King Rattler is (as usual) correct! However it seems to have slipped his mind that the San Antonio Zoo in Texas had a retic that surpassed that 28'6" length, and (assumably) still lives (and therefore is still growing)

Good to see you on here buddy! THANKS FOR YOUR DONATION!!
Cerastes

[Gary D.]

"Theres a 48 or 52 foot retic in an indonesian zoo (world record) ... I am sure at that length it would weigh more than any large anaconda ... IMO"

Actually that was debunked within a week of it's announcement. You can look it up with a search of the giant python forum.

[gonesnakee]

I'll second that the 50 footer was measured by a "Drunken Fisherman's" standards LOL & was quickly "quashed" by a real tape measure. Mark

[anacondaman]

nothing can surpass the overall massivness of a green anaconda

[JimmyDavid]

Cerastes, the san Antonio zoo retic is no longer alive. I believe she never got that big anyway. Perhaps some 25 feet... (still huge).
The heaviest snake of all time was a rock python, not an Anaconda. The 2 biggest contenders were around 27'10'' (Anaconda) 31'2''(rock python). Though there are no weight data on either them, it's easy to guess wich is heavier.

[scalawag]

Baby is still alive, I called Serpent Safari about 3 months ago because I heard the same rumor. I saw her about a year ago. And she is quite impressive.

[Samba]

How strange... I thought I read about her death in Reptiles Magazine... oh well... good news that she's still around!