If you have ever wondered just how big a snake can get, the answer was officially confirmed by Guinness World Records in February 2026 — and it is genuinely staggering. The longest snake ever found in the wild is a female reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) nicknamed Ibu Baron, meaning “The Baroness,” discovered in the tropical forests of Sulawesi, Indonesia, in late 2025. She measures 7.22 metres — that is 23 feet and 8 inches — from head to tail, making her the longest wild snake ever formally recorded in human history.
To put that into some kind of perspective: if you placed The Baroness across a standard FIFA football goal, she would stretch essentially from post to post. She is around the length of six and a half shopping trolleys in a row, or longer than two great white sharks laid end to end. And experts believe her true length could be even greater — under anaesthesia, when a snake’s body fully relaxes, she could measure closer to 7.9 metres, or around 26 feet.
How the world’s longest snake was discovered
Rammang-Rammang in the Maros region of South Sulawesi, where Ibu Baron was found. Photo: Chafidwahyu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Baroness first came to the attention of the outside world when local villagers in the Maros region of South Sulawesi began reporting an unusually large snake in the area. The residents, who were familiar with reticulated pythons, recognised immediately that this one was something different. Word eventually reached wildlife guide and licensed snake handler Diaz Nugraha, based in Borneo, who passed the information to wildlife expert and photographer Radu Frentiu. The two travelled to Sulawesi together to investigate.
When they found her slithering across the forest floor, the scale of the snake was immediately apparent. Moving carefully to avoid stressing the animal, the team used a surveyor’s tape following her natural curves to measure her from head to tail. The official measurement — 7.22 metres, or 23 feet 8 inches — was documented on 18 January 2026, with photographs and video taken throughout the process to ensure complete transparency. She also weighed in at 96.5 kilograms, or around 213 pounds — on an empty stomach. After a substantial meal, she could exceed 100 kilograms comfortably. Guinness World Records officially confirmed the record on 4 February 2026.
What makes the reticulated python the world’s longest snake?
A reticulated python, the species Ibu Baron belongs to. Photo: Mariluna, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The reticulated python is, on average, the longest snake species in the world. Typical adults reach between 3 and 6 metres in length, though exceptional individuals — particularly large females — have been documented exceeding 6 metres from time to time. The Baroness, at 7.22 metres, sits well above even those rare giants, which is precisely what makes her discovery so significant.
Native to South and Southeast Asia — including Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and surrounding regions — reticulated pythons are non-venomous constrictors that kill their prey by coiling around it and squeezing. They are formidable ambush predators capable of taking prey as large as deer, pigs and, in rare documented cases, humans. A 26-foot python was previously reported in South Sulawesi after a 63-year-old farmer was found inside the snake’s body — a sobering reminder of just how powerful these animals are. Reticulated pythons much shorter than The Baroness are routinely killed by local residents when spotted, due to the genuine threat they can pose to livestock, pets and people — which is precisely why the Baroness’s survival to such a size is considered remarkable.
The world’s biggest snake found dead — and other giant snake discoveries
How the biggest snakes compare in size. Image: Ansh Saxena 7163, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Beyond The Baroness, the history of giant snake discoveries is fascinating. The previous Guinness World Record for the longest wild snake was held by a female reticulated python found in East Kalimantan, Malaysia, in 1999, which measured 6.95 metres (22 feet 10 inches). The Baroness surpassed that record by 10 inches — a significant margin in terms of officially verified wild snake measurements.
Perhaps even more astonishing are the claims that have never been fully verified. Over the years there have been numerous reports of reticulated pythons and anacondas exceeding 30 feet in length, though none have been confirmed to the scientific standard required for official recognition. The largest snake ever kept in captivity was a reticulated python named Medusa, who lived at a zoo in the United States and measured 7.67 metres — slightly longer than The Baroness, though under controlled captive conditions where food supply and safety allow for greater growth.
What about the green anaconda — the world’s heaviest snake?
A green anaconda in Brazil’s Rio Pardo. Photo: MKAMPIS, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
No discussion of the world’s biggest snakes would be complete without mentioning the green anaconda. While the reticulated python holds the title for length, Guinness World Records recognises the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus and E. akayima) of South and Central America as the heaviest snake species overall. Females typically measure between 3 and 5 metres and weigh between 30 and 70 kilograms — but exceptionally large individuals, particularly during pregnancy or after a substantial meal, can tip the scales at up to 300 kilograms. That is heavier than a grand piano.
In 2024, scientists identified a previously unknown species — the northern green anaconda (Eunectes akayima) — discovered in the Amazon basin of Ecuador, measuring up to 7.5 metres in length. The find was made during the filming of a wildlife documentary in the territory of the Waorani people and suggested that our understanding of anaconda diversity is still far from complete. Giant snakes, it seems, have a habit of continuing to surprise us — much like the unexplained animal sightings that continue to captivate people across Britain. Both stories speak to the same enduring truth: nature has a way of exceeding what we think we know. For more fascinating content, head to our Celebrities section.
The longest snake ever found — what it tells us
The confirmation of Ibu Baron as the longest wild snake ever found is more than just a record. It is a reminder of how much biodiversity remains in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, how little we still know about the upper limits of size in even well-studied species, and how important local communities are to wildlife discovery — it was the villagers of Maros who first noticed The Baroness, long before any scientist arrived.
It is also, frankly, an extraordinary story. A 23-foot python, heavier than a large man, discovered in the Indonesian jungle and confirmed by Guinness World Records as the longest wild snake in recorded history — the kind of story that reminds you that the natural world is still capable of producing moments of genuine, jaw-dropping wonder. You can read the full official account of her discovery and verification on the Guinness World Records website.