Reticulated python

그물무늬비단뱀

The reticulated python is the world's longest snake, reaching about 6 to 7 metres. It lives in Southeast Asian forests and swamps, and its diamond-shaped net pattern hides it in leaf litter while it ambushes prey.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Class: Reptiles
Lives in: Borneo and Sumatra, Southeast Asia
Diet: Meat eater (carnivore)
Length: about 4 m
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN LC)
Habitat: rainforests, wetlands

Quick answers

Where does the Reticulated python live?

It lives in rainforests, wetlands. On the globe you can find it near Borneo and Sumatra, Southeast Asia.

How big is the Reticulated python?

It grows to about 4 m.

What does the Reticulated python eat?

Its diet: meat eater (carnivore).

Is the Reticulated python endangered?

It is listed as Least Concern (IUCN LC).

The reticulated python is the longest snake in the world. It lives in South and Southeast Asia, in rainforests, swamps and many small islands, and it is a strong swimmer that has even been seen far out at sea. Its name comes from a Latin word meaning net-like, because its back is covered with a complex pattern of diamond shapes.

It is a non-venomous constrictor: it grabs its prey and squeezes it. In a large study in southern Sumatra, wild snakes ranged from 1.5 to 6.5 metres, and the longest one that scientists have measured carefully, from East Kalimantan, was 6.95 metres. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. The globe places it in Borneo and Sumatra.

Longest, but not the heaviest

The reticulated python is the longest snake, though two others are heavier: the green anaconda and the Burmese python. The measured East Kalimantan giant weighed 59 kilograms after almost three months without food. Snakes over 6 metres are rare, but according to the Guinness World Records it is the only living snake that regularly passes that length. Its pattern of diamonds and lighter-centred marks helps it blend into leaf litter.

People and pythons

People hunt this python for its skin, for use in traditional medicine and for the pet trade, which makes it one of the economically most important reptiles in the world. Attacks on people are very rare, but there are a few well-documented cases of adults being killed and swallowed, mostly in Indonesia. It was first described in 1801, and its scientific name today is Malayopython reticulatus.

Fun facts

It is the longest snake in the world; the longest reliably measured one was about 7 m.
It is the world's longest snake, but only the third heaviest.
It has been reported swimming far out at sea and has settled on many small islands.
Its name means net-like, after the pattern on its back.