Snakes are one of nature’s most amazing creatures. They both delight and terrify their appearance. Any fashionista can envy the richness of the color of the snake skin, and legends go about the strength and dexterity of some representatives of the snake genus. Since ancient times, snakes have been idolized and feared, considered to be symbols of wisdom and demonic creatures. The largest snakes in the world - we will find out what sizes some species of reptiles can reach.
10. The Black Mamba | 3 meters
The most dangerous of the snakes black Mamba, takes 10th place in the list of the largest and longest reptiles. Reaches a length of 3 meters. They say that individuals up to 4 meters long are found in nature, but there is no documentary evidence of this. The black mouth, painted in ink, gave the name to the snake.
The habitat of black mamba is Africa. He loves semi-arid places and leads a land-based lifestyle. In addition to being one of the largest poisonous snakes, the black mamba is notable for its swiftness. In a throw, she can reach speeds of up to 20 km / h.
Before the appearance of the antidote, a meeting with a black mamba for a person ended in a sadly fatal outcome. Snake venom causes respiratory arrest and paralysis.
An interesting fact is that with a bite into the head or neck, death from the poison of black mamba occurs within 15-20 minutes.
9. Bushmaster | 3-4 meters
Bushmeister, a representative of an extensive family of vipers, takes 9th place in the list of the largest snakes on the planet. In South America, this is the largest of the poisonous snakes. It is good that this species of reptiles prefers to live in hard-to-reach and uninhabited places. On average, it reaches 3 meters in length, but four-meter individuals are also found. Despite the great length, the snake weighs only 3-5 kg, because it has a slender body. It prefers moist places, therefore it settles near reservoirs. The snake is extremely shy and avoids territories inhabited by people.
An interesting fact is that only 25 cases of a snakebite from this species of man have been recorded in the world. Of the victims, five were killed.
8. Amethyst python | 3.5 meters
Amethyst python - Australia's largest snake. The average length of an individual is 3.5 meters, but there are specimens up to 8 meters long. It hunts small kangaroos, rabbits, birds. Eighth place in our ranking.
7. King cobra | 5 meters
King cobra, occupying 7th place in the list of the largest snakes in the world, can be called the queen among the poisonous reptiles. Some individuals can reach more than 5 meters in length. Given the great danger of the snake, it looks especially impressive. On average, the length of the snake is 3-4 meters. Habitat - Southeast and South Asia, lives mainly in tropical forests.
King cobra is one of the most recognizable snakes. It is impossible to confuse it with another look because of a characteristic feature - a hood in the region of the upper part of the neck.
The snake leads a terrestrial lifestyle, although it can climb trees. Prefers nooks - burrows and caves.
King cobra is extremely dangerous to humans. A dose of poison is enough to die after 15 minutes from respiratory arrest.
An interesting fact - the king cobra can dose the amount of poison when bitten. When meeting with a person, she usually makes a “single” bite, since she needs poison for hunting. Therefore, the number of deaths caused by the attack of this snake is generally small.
6. Common boa | 5.5 meters
Common boa - 6th in the ranking of the largest snakes in the world. Belongs to the family of pseudopods. In total, there are 10 subspecies of boas. This is a fairly large snake. In nature, specimens reaching 5.5 meters in length are not uncommon. The average weight of a snake is 22-25 kg. In captivity, boas rarely grow more than three meters. This species of reptiles easily tolerates captivity and is a frequent guest of terrariums. In nature, the habitat is Central and South America. You can find boas in the Lesser Maltese Islands and Florida.
The color of each subspecies is different and depends on the habitat. Boas are loners and prefer not to be in sight, so their color allows them to disguise themselves well. A snake bite is not dangerous for a person.
An interesting fact is that a constrictor strangles its victim using a specific technique of squeezing the chest of a prey during its expiration.
5. Indian, or light tiger python | 6 meters
Indian, or light tiger python, takes 5th place among the largest snakes on the planet. Individual specimens reach decent dimensions - 6 meters in length. It lives in Nepal, Pakistan, India. Active in the dark, and during the day hides in shelters: caves, forest debris and other secluded corners. The main prey is small animals the size of a cat.
4. Dark tiger (Burmese) python | 6-7 meters
On the 4th place among the largest snakes on Earth - dark tiger (burmese) python. The average body length is 3.7 meters. But in nature there are individuals reaching 6-7 meters. The largest dark python contained in captivity reached 5.7 meters in length. His name was "Baby." Distributed in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Indochina. Accidentally brought to Florida, he got along well there. Like all pythons, it is active in the dark. It preys on rodents, birds, lizards.
3. Hieroglyphic python | 5 meters
Hieroglyphic python - in third place in the ranking of the largest snakes in the world. In another way it is also called African rock python. The maximum body length can reach 6 meters. Average individuals are slightly smaller - about 5 meters in length. Weight - from 55 to 100 kg. It lives in Africa. Rock python can be found in the savannah, and in the rainforests. An excellent swimmer, perfectly climbing trees. It is especially active at night. The huge size of the snake allows it to hunt for large prey - antelopes, goats.
It is dangerous for humans, because it is characterized by very aggressive behavior. A meeting with a hieroglyphic python can end in death. In Canada, a rock python escaping from a zoological store climbed into the house and strangled two small boys, 7 and 5 years old. This is not the first sad case of a snake. In Africa, a ten-year-old boy was swallowed by an African rock (hieroglyphic) python.
2. Anaconda | up to 7 meters
Anaconda - one of the largest snakes in the world, leading an aquatic lifestyle. She often became the heroine of horror films in which she reached monstrous proportions. In fact, the maximum recorded length of the anaconda is 5.2 meters, but individuals up to 7 meters long may well be found. Theoretically, the existence of larger snakes is possible, but due to the inaccessibility of the habitats of the anaconda, it is difficult to confirm this assumption. It lives in South America. The snake hunts for reptiles (caimans, turtles), mammals and birds. Smaller snakes also become anaconda prey. Second place in our ranking.
1. Mesh python | 7.5 meters
In the first place among the largest snakes in the world is the mesh python. On average, the size of this species reaches an impressive six meters. It is documented that one of the individuals living in captivity, the python "Samantha", was 7.5 meters long. Lives in South and Southeast Asia. It preys on reptiles, monkeys, small ungulates, birds. Often, python prey becomes domestic animals.
For humans, the mesh python is dangerous, because it is quite aggressive and strong.