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Archives of The Cold Blooded NewsThe Newsletter of the Colorado Herpetological SocietyVolume 31, Number 1; January, 2004 |
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World's Largest Snake Chasing the Magic Dragon Xantusia riversiana New Taxonomic Changes and Species As Bullfrogs Spread Snapping Turtle Found in UK Snake Bioacoustics Ecological Impact of Spiny-Tailed Iguanas Lizard Hormone May Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels PREVIOUS ISSUES 2003 Index 2002 Index Earlier Issues About the Cold Blooded News CHS Home Page |
World's largest snake caught in IndonesiaSource: The Jakarta Post, December 29, 2003.Special thanks to Allen Salzberg, editor of Herp Digest, for sending this article. Editor's note: There is considerable doubt concerning the accuracy of the claims made about this animal's size, and there is nothing in any of the photographs supplied that can be used as a measuring scale. Herpers that have carefully examined the photos have concluded that the snake might be "only" 30 feet long. (A more recent report suggests that it was actually 21 feet.) Even so, this is still one big snake! (I seem to recall reading not too long ago that the longest snake ON EXHIBIT in the world at that time had recently passed away -- at a mere 23 feet long.) JAKARTA (AP) -- Indonesian villagers claim to have captured a python that is almost 15 meters (49.21 feet) long and weighs nearly 450 kilograms (992.07 pounds), a local official said Monday. If confirmed, it would be the largest snake ever kept in captivity. Hundreds of people have flocked to see the snake at a primitive zoo in Curugsewu village on the country's main island of Java, Republika daily reported. Local government official Rachmat said the reticulated python measured 14.85 meters (49 feet) and weighed in at 447 kilograms (985 pounds). The Guinness Book of World Records lists the longest ever captured snake to be 9.75 meters (32 feet). The heaviest - a Burmese Python kept in Gurnee, Illinois - weighs 182.76 kilograms (403 pounds), the book said on its Web site. Rebublika said the snake, which was caught last year in the jungle of Jambi province but only recently put on public display, eats three or four dogs a month. Reticulated pythons are the world's longest snakes. They are capable of eating animals as large as sheep, and have been known to attack and consume humans. The species is native to the swamps and jungles of Southeast Asia. Copyright © 1998 - 2006, Colorado Herpetological Society. All rights reserved. | ||
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