What is the largest snake in the world?

Written by

Shabnam Dohutia

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 6, 2026 •History

Reticulated pythons and green anacondas are the largest living snakes in the world, but the answer to “What is the largest snake in the world?” depends on what you’re looking for: the longest snake alive, the heaviest snake alive, the longest or heaviest snake to ever have existed, or the species whose individuals frequently rank among the world’s longest or heaviest. In any case, the colossal 40–80-foot monsters depicted in Hollywood movies are—breathe easy—exaggerated, at...