With the diversity of America’s habitats, all sorts of animals call it home. When it comes to snakes, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. But some are bigger than others. We’re going to focus on the largest snakes that live in the United States.
Reticulated Python
The reticulated python is not a native species to North America. Unfortunately, the animal has been sighted in states like Florida where it must have been an imported pet and escaped. They are the largest snake spotted in the U.S. and can get up to a staggering 32 feet!
Anaconda
The infamous anaconda, like the python, isn’t normally native to the U.S. more than ten green anacondas have been spotted in the Everglades. Females are larger than males, and are only slightly shorter than the reticulated python at 30 feet long.
Burmese Python
The Burmese python is here to stay, with anywhere between 100 and 300 pythons established in the Everglades that started from escaping breeders and private owners. The average Burmese python is normally around 16 feet, but bigger examples can be up to 22 feet long.
African Rock Python
The African rock python has the title of the biggest snake in Africa, but some populations have been spotted in Miami, Florida – far from their original landscape. They are good climbers and can even swim if they need to. African rock pythons can measure up to sixteen feet long.
Boa Constrictor
Over 100,000 boa constrictors were imported into the U.S. in the late 1980s. Today, almost all of them are bred in captivity. One population of reproducing boa constrictors has been found in Florida. Although rare, the biggest boa constrictors can measure up to thirteen feet.
Eastern Indigo Snake
The eastern indigo snake is the first native snake species on this list, and it’s longer than any other indigenous species in America. In human care, an eastern indigo snake can live up to 27 years years old! Males can measure up to nine feet long.
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Unlike the eastern indigo snake, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake is definitely one that you shouldn’t keep as a pet. They are found throughout the eastern United States, with the longest example of the species ever recorded being an impressive eight feet long.
Eastern Coachwhip
The eastern coachwhip is a fast snake that can reach speeds of up to 3.6 miles per hour. They are native to the United States and are only aggressive when threatened. The biggest examples of snakes are those that can measure up to eight feet long.
Bull Snake
The bull snake is tied for the eastern coachwhip at eight feet long. They have an interesting defense mechanism where they contort their body into an S-shape and hiss at potential threats. Despite this behavior, they are mostly harmless.
Eastern Rat Snake
The Eastern rat snake can be a blessing for people who have a rat problem. The snake’s diet typically includes mice, rats, and other rodents. They like to hide underneath rocks and trees and are measured to be seven feet long at their longest.
Timber Rattlesnakes
Timber rattlesnakes are some of the biggest rattlesnakes in the state of Texas. Although they typically only grow up to be around 3.3 feet long, there are reports of the snake growing up to seven feet long.
Sidewinders
Sidewinders are a species of rattlesnake named for the way they glide their body left and right as they move. They can move long distances in the night when they hunt animals like rodents and lizards. They are on the smaller side, only being around 2,6 feet long.
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Ten biggest snakes in the United States
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