The reticulated python is the longest officially recorded at 32’ 10” but the unofficial sighting of a green anaconda at 39 plus feet is a possible contender as well as the many rumors of sightings of even longer of both species. However, That only deals with length.
The bulkiest or fattest of the large snakes are the green anacondas and the Burmese pythons.
The heaviest recorded snake was a Burmese python, tipping the scales at 405 pounds!
An unofficial weighing of a green anaconda of 500 pounds is also a nominee.
Both of these species have the potential of being in excess of 400 pounds.
- The lesser antillian threadsnake measures in at a monstrous 4 inches and is about the girth of a matchstick.
The black mamba has been clocked at 12 mph in short bursts, most snakes are not nearly that fast but are quick
The oldest recorded snake was a boa constrictor that lived 40 years 3½ months (contrast that to a Madagascan radiated tortoise that lived 188 years !!!)
- The gaboon viper from Africa has 2 inch fangs that inject half a pint of venom each bite!!
A skull and a long rib cage, most snakes have between 150 and 585 vertebrae.
Australia has the greatest population of venomous snakes, in fact there are more venomous species then non-venomous species in Australia. Although Australia reigns supreme with number of venomous snakes, India is the country boasting the largest numbers of deaths due to snakebites. The numbers range anywhere from 10,000 to 25,000 annually depending on the source of information. There are anywhere from 2500 species to over 4000 species of snakes again depending on the source, suffice it to say-there’s a bunch! There are generally accepted 19 families and half of all the species of snakes fall into the colubridae family.
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