True length of "record" giant pythons.

**millertime89** · 07-28-12, 03:26 PM

Minor rant:
I'm sick of seeing people quote incorrect lengths of giant pythons. NO PYTHON/ANACONDA HAS EVER BEEN ACCURATELY MEASURED AT 25+FT! You want scientific documentation? Here ya go.
http://www.vpi.com/sites/default/fil...nLengths_2.pdf

I'll talk about why its not possible in another post. I need to talk to a few people to make sure I have all the facts in order.

moshirimon · 07-28-12, 05:26 PM

The link won't open for me, and I don't see another thread lol. So why is it not possible for a snake to exceed 25 feet???

Pirarucu · 07-28-12, 10:03 PM

I would say that it is possible, though extremely rare, for a large snake to exceed 25 feet. Titanoboa. There you go, snakes have been bigger in the past, so it's possible. We have no proven record of a retic or what have you growing to that size, but absence of proof is not proof of absence.
I saw a picture a few months back of the severed head of a retic killed in Indonesia. Judging by the picture, it looked like the Sulawesi locality, which is known to get larger than average. Looking at the size of the eyes in comparison to the size of the overall head... That was no small retic. Can't be sure how big it was, but it was massive, no doubt about it.

moshirimon · 07-28-12, 10:26 PM

is this the head?

**millertime89** · 07-29-12, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moshirimon

The link won't open for me, and I don't see another thread lol. So why is it not possible for a snake to exceed 25 feet???

its a pdf, gotta download it.

exceed 25 feet? possible. 30? The snake's physiology and the ecosystem won't allow it.

Titanoboa is an ancient and now extinct species that lived in a world greatly different from our own. Equatorial Colombia millions of years ago.

The absence of proof/proof of absence argument, while valid, is an extremely weak one. In my opinion with the popularity of these species in captivity and the frequency of "50 foot pythons" found in the wild that if one of these snakes could reach 30 feet, it would have happened already. Now if someone brings forth irrefutable proof of one of the big 3 hitting 30 ft, I'll gladly eat my words, but until then, I'll call anyone claiming such a thing full of $4!t, especially when every claim of a larger python, when investigated by scientists, has been bunk.

KORBIN5895 · 07-29-12, 03:58 PM

What's the oldest retic in captivity?

**lady_bug87** · 07-29-12, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pirarucu

I would say that it is possible, though extremely rare, for a large snake to exceed 25 feet. Titanoboa. There you go, snakes have been bigger in the past, so it's possible. We have no proven record of a retic or what have you growing to that size, but absence of proof is not proof of absence.
I saw a picture a few months back of the severed head of a retic killed in Indonesia. Judging by the picture, it looked like the Sulawesi locality, which is known to get larger than average. Looking at the size of the eyes in comparison to the size of the overall head... That was no small retic. Can't be sure how big it was, but it was massive, no doubt about it.

I really enjoy reading your posts, I find them really well thought out.

Wildside · 07-30-12, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moshirimon

is this the head?

Why????

StudentoReptile · 07-30-12, 02:16 PM

Longest snake - ever (captivity) - Size - Explore Records - Guinness World Records

Quote:

Fluffy, a reticulated python (Python reticulatus), when measured on 30 September 2009, she was found to be over 7.3 m (24 ft) long. Fluffy died at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Powell, Ohio, USA, on 26 Oct 2010 due to an apparent tumor. She was 18 years old and still 24 foot long.

----------
I certainly don't think 25 feet is out of the question. I really don't think 30 feet is completely out of the question either, although I concur very very unlikely.

Quote:

30? The snake's physiology and the ecosystem won't allow it.

I think one aspect of this discussion calls for a distinction between the "average adult size" of a particular species and the "maximum/record" size of said species. Indeed, 18-20 seems to be the norm for most adult female Burms and maybe 22-24 for female retics. But I don't think its utterly inconceivable they could get larger. Certainly not on a routine basis, but just the right combination of genetics, diet, and dumb luck could result in an abnormally huge animal. And that goes for captive and wild specimens alike.

To address your question more directly, if 30 feet is impossible, what about 29 feet? 28 feet maybe? 27? see where I'm going?

Yes yes, I know...the higher the number, the more unlikely the scenario, but to stick a definite number on the issue "Its IMPOSSIBLE for any snake to get 30 feet ever!" is a little premature, IMHO.

Donnie · 07-30-12, 02:20 PM

Here's one caught in 2002 at 23ft and says that one was found in 1912 measuring 33ft but no evidence for this one.

LiveLeak.com - HALF TON PYTHON: A HUGE Reticulated Python weighing 447kg (985lb)

**Aaron_S** · 07-30-12, 07:38 PM

I personally believe if people keep breeding these giants at smaller and smaller sizes that we're just going to dwarf the species anyway.

Breed monster Suliwesi locales. Raise up some babies for 5 years. Breed the biggest. Keep doing that. Nobody will though. They need their retics to fit into drawers and be popping out eggs by 15 pounds and 12 feet.

StudentoReptile · 07-30-12, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I personally believe if people keep breeding these giants at smaller and smaller sizes that we're just going to dwarf the species anyway.

Breed monster Suliwesi locales. Raise up some babies for 5 years. Breed the biggest. Keep doing that. Nobody will though. They need their retics to fit into drawers and be popping out eggs by 15 pounds and 12 feet.

I hate to bring politics into it, but with all these stupid laws popping up, can you blame them? It almost seems like it will become the semi-"legal" way to keep a retic...if at all.

Mind you, I concur that part of the appeal is their size. Just observing the trend is all.

**Aaron_S** · 07-31-12, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StudentoReptile

I hate to bring politics into it, but with all these stupid laws popping up, can you blame them? It almost seems like it will become the semi-"legal" way to keep a retic...if at all.

Mind you, I concur that part of the appeal is their size. Just observing the trend is all.

I can blame them. If you can't handle it at full size then why at all? Why stunt and animal purely for OUR self gratification to keep it? That's a load of horseshit blaming it on politics and you and everyone else knows it!

That's PURE animal cruelty!

StudentoReptile · 07-31-12, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I can blame them. If you can't handle it at full size then why at all? Why stunt and animal purely for OUR self gratification to keep it? That's a load of horseshit blaming it on politics and you and everyone else knows it!

That's PURE animal cruelty!

Fundamentally, I agree. Like I said, if I wanted to keep a retic, I want a retic that is gonna get some size on it. If I wanted a 9-12-ft dwarf mutation, I'd just get a carpet python or a BCI or something. To paraphrase the clothing brand slogan, "If you can't run with the big snakes, go home!"

Again, I was just observing a trend, that is all. Realistically, the "purists" still outnumber the weanies IMHO. The keepers with the huge mainland localities will still fervently keep their giants no matter what.

**Aaron_S** · 07-31-12, 06:10 AM

The "weanies" are the loudmouths though and get far more attention in all forms of media. Youtube, news stories or what have you.