Animals that Start with G - Listed With Pictures, Facts
What Is The Biggest Snake In The World? Meet The Longest And Heaviest Snakes.
With over 3,000 species of snakes on the Earth, these scaly reptiles can reach mere inches to tens of feet in size. According to Britannica, the smallest identified snake in the world is the Barbados thread snake, which reaches only 4.1 inches at its adult length.
While a tiny snake may seem cute, the thought of a ginormous snake could be something out of nightmares. From pythons, boa constrictors to anacondas, snakes can exceed lengths and weights beyond your wildest imagination.
But which snake takes the cake as the biggest in the world?
What is the biggest snake in the world?The reticulated python is the longest snake in the world, according to the Natural History Museum. On average, this snake reaches approximately 6.25 meters, or 20.5 feet, in length.
The longest recorded reticulated python was discovered in 1912 and measured 10 meters, or about 32.8 feet, long. This snake was longer than the height of a giraffe, says the Natural History Museum. The largest and heaviest reticulated python held in captivity was Medusa, who reached 7.67 meters, or approximately 25 feet, long and weighed 158.8 kilograms, or around 350 pounds.
Reticulated pythons are found in southeast Asia, particularly in rainforests, woodlands and grasslands. In countries like Singapore and Indonesia, these pythons have also been identified in sewers, according to the Natural History Museum.
More snakes: Illustrated guide to venomous snakes in the US
What is the heaviest snake in the world?The green anaconda is the heaviest snake in the world, according to the Natural History Museum.
While National Geographic states these semiaquatic snakes can weigh up to 550 pounds, the heaviest of this anaconda was recorded at 227 kilograms, or approximately 500 pounds, according to the Natural History Museum.
Green anacondas are found in South America and Trinidad, particularly in bodies of water, such as swamps, marshes, slow streams and rivers.
The green anaconda is the heaviest snake in the world. The heaviest of this anaconda was recorded at 227 kilograms, or approximately 500 pounds.
Is there a snake bigger than an anaconda?Yes, there is a snake bigger than an anaconda. The reticulated python is longer in length than a green anaconda. Generally, green anacondas reach between 20 to 30 feet in length, according to National Geographic.
While the reticulated python is longer than the green anaconda, the latter is heavier. Reticulated pythons tend to be skinner than green anacondas. On average, reticulated pythons weigh around 158 kilograms, or under 350 pounds, according to Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens.
Is Titanoboa alive?No, the Titanoboa is not alive. The extinct snake lived during the Paleocene Epoch, approximately 66 million to 56 million years ago and is considered "the largest known member of the suborder Serpentes," according to Britannica.
An average adult Titanoboa is estimated to have been 13 meters, or 42.7 feet, long and weigh approximately 1,135 kilograms, or 1.25 tons, says Britannica. In comparison to modern snakes, no living snake has ever been identified with a verifiable length over 9.6 meters, or around 31.5 feet.
The Titanoboa was the largest predator on Earth following the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago and until the first appearance of the Megalodon around 23 million years ago, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is the biggest snake in the world? The longest, heaviest snakes.
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World's Largest Snake Species Discovered
(MENAFN- AzerNews) By Alimat Aliyeva
The world's largest snake species has been discovered, Azernews reports, citing foreign media outlets.
This type of snake was discovered by a National Geographic correspondent during filming. Scientists have discovered a previously unseen species of giant anaconda in the Amazon. This type of snake, which can grow up to 7.5 meters and weigh about 500 kilograms, can be considered the largest and heaviest snake in the world. To date, 4 species of anaconda are known, and the largest of them – the green anaconda – lives in tropical regions of South America, for example, in the basins of the Amazon, Orinoco and Essequibo rivers and in some small reservoirs. These anacondas, found in the rivers and swamps of South America, are known for their lightning speed, ability to surround, strangle and swallow prey whole.
According to the results of a long-term study, there are two genetically distinct species of green anaconda. Researchers working with the Waorani indigenous people have captured and examined several specimens of the newly named northern green anaconda (Eunectes akaima) in the Bameno region of the Baihuaeri Waorani lands in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Brian Fry, a University of Queensland spokesman and co-author of the study, said in a statement that the size of these snakes is incredible. One female anaconda they met had a length of 6.3 meters.
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World's Largest Snake Discovered In Amazon Rainforest And Is 26ft Long And Weighs 440lbs
Dutch biologist Professor Freek Vonk discovered the species in Brazil. He was filmed swimming next to the enormous anaconda. The study included a team of 15 scientists
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World's 'largest snake' discovered in Amazon Rainforest
The world's largest snake has been discovered in the Amazon Rainforest and is an incredible 26ft long - is as thick as a car tyre with a head the size of a human's.
The huge Northern Green Anaconda, weighing 440 lbs, was found by Professor Freek Vonk, a TV wildlife presenter in remote part of Brazil. It is bigger than the previous biggest known species - the reticulated python which averages 20ft 5ins long. Before now, only one species of Green Anaconda – also called the Giant Anaconda – has been recognised in the Amazon. The Northern Green Anaconda discovery was published in a study in the scientific journal Diversity on 16 February.
Dutch biologist Professor Vonk, 40, was filmed swimming next to the enormous snake. He was one of 15 scientists involved in the study. He said: "That one was 26 feet long and weighed 440lbs. Together with 14 other scientists from nine countries, we discovered that the largest snake species in the world, the green anaconda. As we all know it from movies and stories about giant snakes - are actually two different species.
Professor Jesus Rivas and his wife with the giant reptile (Image:
Jam Press/Studio Freek, Amsterdam.)"The green anacondas found in the north of their range in South America - including Venezuela, Suriname, and French Guiana - appear to belong to a completely different species. Although they look almost identical at first glance, the genetic difference between the two is 5.5% and that is huge. To put this in perspective, humans and chimpanzees are only genetically different from each other by about 2%."
Prof Vonk added: "We have given the new species the Latin name Eunectes akayima, the Northern Green Anaconda. The word 'akayima' comes from several indigenous languages of northern South America and means 'great snake' You can see in the video the biggest anaconda I have ever seen, as thick as a car tyre, 26 feet long and weighing over 440 lbs - with a head as big as my head."
A team of researchers were involved in the international study (Image:
Jam Press/Studio Freek, Amsterdam.) The new species of Anaconda (Image:
Jam Press/Studio Freek, Amsterdam.)The TV biologist also described the effects of climate change on the region. He said: "The Amazon region is under severe pressure from climate change and continued deforestation. Over a fifth of the Amazon has already disappeared, which is more than 30 times the area of the Netherlands. The survival of these iconic giant snakes is inextricably linked to protecting their natural habitat." Bryan Fry, biologist at the University of Queensland and co-author of the study, said: "It's important, because the newly described northern green anaconda has a much smaller range than the southern, and so that means it's much more vulnerable."
The world's largest snake has been discovered in the Amazon rainforest (Image:
Jam Press Vid/Studio Freek, Amsterdam.)Professor Jesus Rivas, the lead author of the study, explained that they first realised there was more than one species of green anaconda over 15 years ago. Along with his wife Dr Sarah Corey-Rivas, they started to analyse samples to look for genetic differences. However, it took until now to publish their findings. Professor Rivas said: "Sarah and I started working on this in 2007 when we first noticed there was a big genetic difference between the Venezuelan samples and some samples from Peru. Then we started the process of gathering samples and collaborators throughout South America and beyond to complete the mosaic of samples that allowed us to put the study together.
The Northern Green Anaconda is as thick as a car tyre (Image:
Jam Press/Studio Freek, Amsterdam.)"I worked across countries with various colleagues to gather the samples and Sarah did most of the heavy lifting, sequencing genes and doing the phylogenetic analysis. This was a truly international project, looking at the list of authors there is one from Belgium, one from Australia, one from the Netherlands, one from Colombia, one from Brazil, two from Bolivia, two from the US, three from Ecuador, and three from Venezuela."
Professor Freek Vonk with the new species of Anaconda (Image:
Jam Press/Studio Freek, Amsterdam.) The huge snake with Professor Jesus Rivas and his wife Dr Sarah Corey-Rivas (Image:
Jam Press/Studio Freek, Amsterdam.)He added: "I have been studying anacondas for 32 years so this begs the question of how many other species there are that we do not know about. If such an iconic animal went unnoticed for so many years, what about the less conspicuous and less studied animals and plants? This finding humbles the mind regarding the true diversity of South America."
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