People may associate large snakes with tropical regions like Brazil and Africa. However, many types of large snakes live a lot closer to home. Plus, some have adapted to suburban living. Keep in mind, it’s hard to definitely determine the longest and heaviest snake species. Reported sightings could have exaggerated measurements, and serpents measured in captivity may not grow like their counterparts in the wild. So take all reports with a grain of salt as you look out for the biggest snakes you can find in the United States.
Eastern Rat Snake
This large non-venomous snake can range from 1 to 2 meters (3.5 to 7 feet) long. This highly adaptable species commonly lives across the eastern United States. They come in all sorts of colors and patterns to blend into their different environments, including farmlands, forests, and suburban locations. Don’t worry, they usually aren’t dangerous to people.
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
This is the longest and heaviest venomous snake in all of North America. It’s typically about a meter or two long (about 3 to 6 feet long), but can go up to 2.5 meters (8 feet). The eastern diamondback rattlesnake’s distinct appearance includes a wide head, stout body, and intricate diamond patterns on its skin. They hunt mainly small animals and birds, but look out for them in southern eastern United States.
Bull Snake
These serpents range from 1 to 2 meters (3 to 5 feet) in length. Despite being non-venemous, they are famous for imitating rattlesnakes by coiling up their bodies and shaking their tails. They typically look yellow with blotches of black, brown, white, or red. They are found throughout the western and southern parts of the United States, particularly in Texas.
Eastern Coachwhip
These slender snakes can really stretch, with the longest one on record being 2.5 meters (8.5 feet). This non-venomous species lives around the southern United States and northern Mexico, according to World Atlas. They are recognizible for their dark-colored heads and lighter-colored bodies.
Eastern Indigo Snake
Unlike others on this list, this snake is native to the United States. In fact, it is the largest native non-venomous snake in the country. The specimens usually reach between 1.5 to 2 meters (5 and 7 feet) but some can grow up to about 3 meters (9 feet). This snake lives in southeastern states such as Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida. It plays an important part of its ecosystem by controlling the population of smaller prey.
Boa Constrictor
Boa constrictors are non-venomous but they can go up to 4 meters (13 feet) on average, with the females generally growing larger than the males. They generally inhabit Central and South America but they are also appearing in Florida because of the illegal exotic pet trade. Now, escaped or released boa constrictors have adapted to the forests and suburban areas. They tend to stay hidden during the day and hunt at night.
Burmese Python
The record for largest Burmese Python goes to “Baby” the serpent that was 5.74 meters long (18.8 feet), according to BBC Science Focus. In the wild, these pythons average around 4.9 meters (18.8 feet) and can hunt alligators. However, these eye-catching creatures are now considered an invasive species in Florida due to the illegal pet trade. In this case, the snakes have greatly reduced the populations of small rodents, making it difficult for native predators to find food.
Central African Rock Python
This python is among the largest snakes in Africa, its native land. They average around 3 to 5 meters (9.8 to 16.5 feet) and adapt well to a variety of environments from forests, to deserts, to savannah. They can swallow prey much larger than themselves, such as antelopes and crocodiles, due to their extremely flexible jaws.
“Because they’re able to disassociate the upper and lower jaws when about to devour prey, they can often take in things which are much larger than their head sizes,” Patrick Campbell, senior curator of the reptiles collection at the Natural History Museum in London, reported to Live Science.
Green Anaconda
Anacondas can become massive. Not only do they grow long, the record being 9 meters (30 feet), but they can grow heavy, weighing up to 250 kg (550 pounds). That’s about as heavy as a baby grand piano. There is no official world record for the largest green anaconda, but in 2016, a group of construction workers in Brazil found one about 10 meters (33 feet) long and weighed about 399 kg (880 pounds). The ones found in Florida are relatively smaller, although it’s not impossible for larger versions to be lurking in the Everglades.
The species use their enormous size to hunt, constricting large prey such as deer and capybaras. “The pure muscle mass of their bodies wrapped around their prey basically causes a heart attack. Essentially, it stops the rhythm and the circulation of the heart,” Campbell said. “That will immobilize prey which they can then take their time to swallow whole — normally head first.”
Reticulated Python
The python is named after the intricate, grid-like pattern on its skin. The longest-ever reticulated python recorded in captivity was 10 meters (32.8 feet) long. This species is recognized as the longest snake on Earth, as well as the third heaviest after the green anaconda and Burmese python. They live in grasslands, woodlands, and rainforests. They are also excellent swimmers and have been spotted far out at sea.