Longest snake ever measured is over 23.5 feet long
A snake from southwest Indonesia has broken the Guinness World Record for the longest snake ever seen in the wild. Nicknamed “Ibu Baron” (the Baroness), the giant female reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) discovered in late 2025 measures 23 feet, 8 inches from head to tail, about the same length as a regulation football goal. That’s 10 inches longer than the previous record of another female Bornean reticulated python measured in 1999. That said, herpetologists on site suspected its length could technically be even longer.
The official confirmation of the world record took place earlier this year in Maros, a region in the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. A team of experts, including local ecologist Budi Purwanto, snake trainer Diaz Nugraha and photographer Radu Frentiu, took the initiative to measure and document the reptile. They knew time was of the essence after hearing about the reptile’s existence from a mutual acquaintance. Reticulated pythons much smaller than the Baroness are often killed by local residents whenever they are spotted due to the threat they frequently pose to livestock, pets, children and even some full-grown adults.
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Fortunately, the new record holder was still safe and healthy when the team located him. The group confirmed its length with the help of a few volunteers, but noted that its size may have been an understatement. The Baroness was measured while she was fully awake and without anesthesia. Snakes are known to elongate up to 10% when their muscles are relaxed during sedation, meaning they could be 26 feet long. But because the procedure is inherently risky, conservationists didn’t want to put her unnecessarily at risk.
From there, it was time for the weigh-in. At a whopping 213 pounds, that’s roughly the same size as an adult giant panda, according to the recent Guinness World Record announcement. It’s also impossible that the Baroness isn’t sometimes heavier that, because she hadn’t eaten recently at the time of her weigh-in.
Although reticulated pythons are not venomous, they are still very dangerous. This weight is mainly due to its incredibly strong muscles, which it uses to squeeze and asphyxiate its prey.
“Each muscle coil is a powerhouse on this snake and it appears to work individually,” Frentiu said in a statement. “So it’s the power of such a snake that impresses you the most, as well as its ability to expand when swallowing huge prey, up to the size of a cow, which is virtually impossible for most people to comprehend.”
Although they are not naturally attracted to highly populated areas, encounters with pythons and other snakes are on the rise in places like Indonesia. Populations of typical prey like cattle and feral pigs decline as habitats are destroyed. Meanwhile, python poaching remains a problem.
“Our hope is that pythons and other giant snakes are no longer seen as vermin, but rather as a symbol of islands and animals necessary for the ecosystem,” Frentiu added.
However, the Baroness probably won’t have to worry about all that now. She is the new resident of conservationist Purwanto’s estate, along with a number of other snakes rescued from similar situations.
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