It’s also difficult to reliably measure live snakes. Is an anaconda bigger than a python? It depends on what you mean by “bigger”. Rounding out the anaconda species are the Bolivian anaconda and the dark-spotted anaconda. They’re smaller than their green relatives, but just as adept in the water – as you’d expect from a family of snakes called “water boas”. Yellow anacondas are a similar species, found in wetland habitats in and around the Paraguay River. With their eyes and nasal openings on top of their heads, they can lie in wait for their victims while almost entirely submerged. Green anacondas are strong swimmers and stealthy ambush predators. They’re nocturnal and largely aquatic, preferring marshes, swamps, and streams. These jungle-dwelling giants live in much of South America, as far south as Paraguay. The species most people think of when they hear the term “anaconda” is the green anaconda.
The ball python gets its name from its habit of curling into a ball when threatened. In the wild, ball pythons live in western and central Africa, and as far east as Uganda. It’s also Africa’s smallest python, coming in at under two metres in length. Most wild ball pythons are black or brown. These “colour morphs” are the result of selective breeding, although mutations do cause unusual patterns in the wild. The ball python is so popular partially due to its wide range of patterns and colours. This species is perhaps best known from captivity, as it’s the most popular pet snake. Ball pythonĪnother well-known African python is the ball python. They’re often killed for bushmeat, leather, or simply out of fear. It’s also a solidly built snake, with most weighing around 50 kg, and some rare specimens almost double that.Īfrican rock pythons have a fearsome reputation in much of their range, though it’s largely undeserved. The northern subspecies is the larger of the two and can grow to over six metres in length! (Most are between three and four metres.) There are two subspecies, with one living in Central and West Africa, and the other in Southern Africa. These snakes are covered in a range of brown, green, or yellow blotches, and have a distinctive triangular head. This giant has a wide distribution throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. The largest of these – and Africa’s largest snake – is the African rock python. Of the many python species, only a handful live in Africa. (Though the Burmese python now breeds in Florida, a result of escaped or released pets.) African Pythons Pythons, on the other hand, are found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. In fact, they don’t even live on the same continents!Īll four anaconda species live in South America. One main difference between pythons and anacondas is that they live in different places. There are currently 42 recognised species in the family Pythonidae. The largest, most common, and best-known anaconda species is the green anaconda. There are four recognised species, making up the genus Eunectes. While many people simply use the terms “anaconda” and “python”, both families contain several different species.Īnacondas are in the boa family, Boidae. Read on to learn the difference between pythons and anacondas. Whatever their similarities and differences, anacondas and pythons are fascinating reptiles with impressive reputations.
These snakes don’t even live in the same regions. Yet the two also differ in many ways and are in separate families.
With all the similarities, many people mix up the sizeable serpents. They’re both non-venomous and kill via constriction. Pythons and anacondas are some of the world’s largest snakes. No, we’re not talking coding we’re talking about constrictors. Python vs anaconda: what’s the difference between these two heavyweights?
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