Anaconda Vs Titanoboa: Which Is The Largest Snake In The World?

The mention of snakes can bring about a feeling of dread in a lot of people. Snakes are commonly one of the most feared animals in the world, particularly due to their venomous bite being fatal. Then there are non-poisonous snakes like pythons which take advantage of their size and kill their prey by wrapping themselves around them and crushing or suffocating them. Having said that, it is interesting to know about which snake is the largest one in the world. Many people consider Anaconda to be the largest and most dangerous snake in the world. Although pythons are formidable contenders in terms of snake length, the Anaconda species exceeds many python varieties. Among these, the Green Anaconda stands out as the longest snake. Found slithering discreetly in the marshy terrains and waterways of the Amazon, these snakes typically measure between 9 to 10 metres in length. As per the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the Green Anaconda holds the title for the heaviest snake species alive today, with some weighing up to 250 kg. There is no official record for the largest green anaconda; in 2016, construction workers in Brazil stumbled upon a specimen measuring 10 metres in length.

While Anaconda is more well known among the two, a snake species named Titanoboa is also no less famous. Although the snake went extinct many years ago, it used to be longer than the Anaconda. Titanoboa cerrejonensis once crawled in the moist forests and rivers of South America. Titanoboa is considered to be one of the largest known snakes to have ever existed. This snake may not exist today, but 60 million years ago this snake used to be 13 metres long.

Surprisingly, a new challenger emerged in April this year. While Titanoboa reigned as the largest known snake for over a decade, recent findings reported by Live Science suggest that Vasuki Indicus, fossils of which were unearthed from a mine in Gujarat, might have surpassed Titanoboa by up to 2 metres in length. With estimates ranging between 11 to 15 metres, this colossal, extinct snake bears the name Vasuki, derived from the mythological king of serpents in Hinduism. These awe-inspiring creatures roamed the Earth some 47 million years ago.