Book 32, Question 103
How long can the longest snake grow?
The reticulated python of Southeast Asia is the longest snake.
Some grow more than twenty feet, longer than a minivan. They are slim for their length. The heaviest snake is the green anaconda of South America, which is thicker and can weigh over two hundred pounds. These giants live in tropical forests and wetlands.
Watch the videoWatch on YouTubeSee the series on Amazon
Quick answers
How long can the longest snake grow?
The reticulated python, Malayopython reticulatus , is the longest snake in the world, regularly exceeding 6.25 metres in length.
Source: Natural History Museum, London
More fun facts
- Reticulated pythons are already the world’s longest snake species, typically reaching lengths between 10 to 19 feet.
- The longest and heaviest snake to ever be held in captivity is a female reticulated python called Medusa.
- It’s estimated that a 5.2-metre-long anaconda would weigh about the same as a 7.3-metre-long reticulated python.
- Reticulated pythons live in southeast Asia and while they’re typically found in rainforests , woodland and grasslands, their habitat preference seems to depend on their location.
- Reticulated pythons are known to climb trees by firmly wrapping their bodies around the trunks and using muscular upward force.
- Yellow sea snakes are thought to be the longest sea snake species in the world.
- Snakes can grow to colossal sizes, although some reports have long been exaggerated.
Sources: National Geographic, Natural History Museum, London
Questions kids ask
Which venomous snake is the longest?
The king cobra, Ophiophagus hannah , is the world’s longest venomous snake.
Source: Natural History Museum, London