Top 6 largest snakes in the world

The fear of snakes is as old as humanity itself, and "snake stories" have been popular in the myth and folklore of various peoples long before the Internet. Instinct makes us afraid of them, and there seems to be good reason for this, since many of the most venomous creatures in the world are snakes. And the smallest of them are the most deadly. But most of the largest snakes in the world are not poisonous and are often kept as pets.  6. King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) - 5.6 meters This is the largest venomous snake in the world. It is considered a very dangerous reptile, as its venom can cause human death in 15 minutes. However, if possible, the king cobra avoids collision with humans. And when attacking, to drive away a two-legged enemy, can make two or three "blank" bites, saving the poison to hunt. The Latin name Ophiophagus hannah means "snake eater". And it is fully justified, because the diet of the king cobra mainly consists of other snakes, including venomous ones. 5. Dark tiger python, aka Burmese python (Python bivittatus) - 5.74 meters This snake has a beautiful patterned color resembling the skin of a giraffe, and is known for its quiet temperament. Burmese pythons are often kept as pets. In their natural habitat, these snakes can be found in South and Southeast Asia. Their diet consists of small mammals and birds, and, similar to the anaconda, Burmese pythons squeeze their prey until it suffocates. Then they swallow their prey whole and can feed only two or three times a year. Due to deteriorating habitat conditions and the demand for snake skin and flesh, these giant creatures are becoming an endangered species in the wild. In captivity, however, their numbers remain high. 4. The hieroglyphic python (Python sebae) - 6 meters Adult hieroglyphic pythons usually reach a length of 4.8 meters. But there is unconfirmed information that in 1958 a seven-meter python was killed with a 1.5-meter Nile crocodile found in its stomach. Now it is difficult to say whether the information was true, because there is no photo or video of one of the largest snakes in the world. These pythons also attack humans. In 2002, a snake swallowed a ten-year-old boy in South Africa. 3. Amethyst python (Morelia amethistina) - 6 meters This species is found in Indonesia, Australia and Papua New Guinea. The amethyst python differs from other pythons by its large and symmetrical shields which cover the upper part of its head. These snakes have a beautiful yellow-olive or olive-brown coloration with an iridescent cast. Amethyst pythons feed on small animals (including chickens) and often crawl into the yards of people keeping birds. 2. Giant or green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) - 9 meters There are many legends and rumors about the size of the anaconda. The Briton Percival Fossett describes anacondas over 18 and 24 meters in size. And in 2015, a photo of a giant anaconda 40 meters long and weighing 2,067 kg, which allegedly killed 257 people and 2,325 animals, circulated the Internet. It took British commandos in Africa 37 days to track it down and kill it. However, the photo turned out to be a fake, and the largest known anaconda is in New York City, in the terrarium of the Zoological Society. It is about 9 meters tall and weighs 130 kilograms. Green anacondas live mainly in the Amazon rainforest and can be found in swamps, rivers and streams. They are very nimble in the water and never crawl far from it. Their diet consists mainly of iguanas, birds, turtles and other small to medium sized creatures. These scaly giants kill their prey by wrapping themselves around them and squeezing them in a deadly embrace, preventing them from breathing air. Their extremely elastic jaws allow them to swallow their prey whole, even if it is much larger than the anaconda itself. And it may be months before the snake wants to eat again. 1. The reticulated python (Python reticulatus) - 14.85 meters The largest snake in the world was found in the jungle on the island of Sumatra. Its length exceeded 14 meters, and its weight was 447 kg. Scientists have never seen a snake of this size. The monster was named Guihua and entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. It costs nothing to swallow a man or even a medium-sized cow. And after such a meal Guihua can not eat anything for several months. Common reticulated pythons reach a length of 5-7 meters and are noted for their aggressive behavior. They can attack humans and animals, both domestic and predators. In one video of the largest snakes in the world, a python killed and swallowed a small alligator These snakes are capable of dislocating their jaws to swallow prey close to their weight and up to 1/4 the length of their torso. Although the reticulated python is quite common in the wild, its numbers are gradually declining. Poachers actively hunt for the snake's skin as well as its gallbladder, which is used in Asian folk medicine.