Which snake is generally regarded as the heaviest living snake species?

The green anaconda is generally regarded as the heaviest living snake species. Adult females are much larger than males and can exceed 5 metres in length, with exceptional individuals weighing more than 100 kilograms.

Green anacondas live mainly in slow-moving waters, swamps and flooded forests across tropical South America. Their massive bodies are well suited to aquatic life: the eyes and nostrils sit high on the head, allowing the snake to watch and breathe while mostly submerged.

The reticulated python is usually credited as the longest living snake, but it is more slender. This distinction explains why sources sometimes give different answers when discussing the “largest” snake. Green anacondas are heavy-bodied constrictors that ambush fish, birds, mammals and caimans.

Reports of extraordinarily heavy anacondas are often difficult to verify. Reliable comparisons therefore focus on documented specimens rather than sensational claims.