Biggest Snake Ever Recorded? See the Enormous Snake That Invaded a Farm and Ate a Cow

Written by Hannah Crawford
Published: October 27, 2023
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A python eating a cow. Now, here’s something you don’t hear about every day. We know that pythons are large animals; however, swallowing a cow-type large is something entirely different. Let’s watch the video first and then dive into what type of python this could be!

Watch This Incredible Video Shown Below!

Giant Python in India 

The next YouTube video posted at the top of this blog post takes us to India. This video was found and shared by the News.Com.Au YouTube page. This channel is Australia’s go-to site for the best news. They share a short description of what happened in the video below.

“Giant python eats whole cow alive in India, a farmer lassos its head to try and get it off the property.” 

Python Eating a Cow

At the start of this video, we are taken to India, where a local farmer noticed a massive python slithering through his backyard structure. This python, we can see, has just eaten something quite large, as his stomach is bloated.  

This python has just swallowed a cow whole. We couldn’t believe it either! However, nothing ceases to amaze us with pythons anymore. They are incredible creatures that are known to surprise people at every turn. 

If you pause the video at 23 seconds, we can see the python has a lasson around its neck. As we can imagine, the farmer was not happy. Not only is it destroying some of the structure it is around, but it has also eaten one of his livestock, which is a part of his livelihood as a farmer. 

What Type of Python is This? 

reticulated python

The reticulated python can live for over 25 years.

©Mark_Kostich/Shutterstock.com

Given that this video takes place in India, it might be very easy to assume this is the Indian python (Python molurus). However, if we look at the shapes and patterns on this python, we can see that they don’t quite match up. But, if we take a look at the reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus), we see that the patterns align. 

The reticulated python is of the order Squamata and can be found throughout Asia. The exact population number of these pythons is unknown. However, they are considered to be populous enough to be labeled as the least concern for their conservation status. 

The reticulated python reaches up from 13 to 20 feet in length. One of the largest reticulated pythons, named Medusa, was 25.2 feet in length and was over 350 pounds, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

It’s important to note that these massive pythons are highly aggressive. And so, it is vital to stay as far away as possible when you are in the vicinity of one. This farmer in the video above was wise to use a lasso and not get close 

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Opayaza12/Shutterstock.com

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About the Author

Hannah Crawford is a writer at A-Z Animals where she focuses on reptiles, mammals, and locations in Africa. Hannah has been researching and writing about animals and various countries for over eight years. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Communication\Performance Studies from Pensacola Christian College, which she earned in 2015. Hannah is a resident in Florida, and enjoys theatre, poetry, and growing her fish tank.

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