Head to head
Reticulated Python vs Green Anaconda
Pythons and anacondas are the two giants of the snake world, and they are both constrictors — but they are not close relatives, they live on different continents, and they hold different records.
| Reticulated Python | Green Anaconda | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Southeast Asia (python) | Northern South America (anaconda) |
| Record for | Longest snake — verified to 6.95 m | Heaviest snake — to 100+ kg |
| Typical length | 4–7 m | 3–5 m, exceptionally over 6 m |
| Build | Long and comparatively slender | Shorter and much thicker |
| Habitat | Forest, grassland, near water and towns | Swamps and slow rivers — highly aquatic |
| Reproduction | Lays 15–80 eggs and coils around them | Live birth — 20–40 young |
| Venom | None — constrictor | None — constrictor |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Python vs Anaconda: common questions
Which is bigger, a python or an anaconda?
It depends on how you measure. The reticulated python is longer — the longest verified snake at just under 7 metres. The green anaconda is far heavier and thicker, reaching over 100 kg, roughly twice the weight of a python of the same length.
Who would win, a python or an anaconda?
A green anaconda of equal length would likely overpower a reticulated python because it is so much more muscular, especially in the water where it has the advantage. On land the lighter, faster python would have a better chance of escaping.
Do pythons and anacondas both squeeze their prey to death?
Both are constrictors, but they do not crush. The coils tighten with each breath the prey takes until blood circulation stops and the heart fails, usually within a few minutes. Then the snake swallows the animal whole.