Guinness World Records confirmed that a massive female reticulated python found in Indonesia is the longest wild snake ever formally measured. Discovered in the Maros region of Sulawesi, the serpent stretches 23 feet 8 inches from head to tail. That’s longer than most living rooms and far longer than anyone wants to encounter on a hiking trail.
The python, nicknamed Ibu Baron or “The Baroness,” surfaced in late 2025 after locals reported sightings of an unusually large snake. Licensed snake handler Diaz Nugraha and natural history photographer Radu Frentiu traveled to Sulawesi to verify the reports and document the animal properly. Guinness reviewed the evidence and confirmed the measurement earlier this month.
Indonesia Is Home to the World’s Longest Wild Snake
According to Guinness World Records, the snake measured 7.22 meters using a surveyor’s tape. She was also weighed inside a canvas sack on scales normally used for rice, coming in at 96.5 kilograms, or about 213 pounds. She hadn’t recently eaten, which is worth noting, since a large meal can dramatically inflate a python’s weight.
Reticulated pythons already rank as the world’s longest snake species, though most adults measure between 10 and 19 feet. Larger individuals exist, but they’re rarely documented with reliable measurements. Many are killed shortly after discovery, either out of fear or for bushmeat and skins, which makes verified records difficult.
Ibu Baron avoided that fate largely due to timing. Conservationist Budi Purwanto intervened soon after her discovery and brought her into his care. She now lives in a large enclosure on his property in Maros County, alongside other rescued snakes. The setup protects both the animals and nearby residents.
Human-snake conflict is common in this part of Indonesia. Large pythons are viewed as serious threats to livestock, pets, and occasionally people. Nugraha told Guinness World Records that shrinking habitats and declining prey are pushing more snakes into human spaces. “Appearances of these giant snakes are increasing because their habitats are reducing and availability of the snake’s natural food is decreasing,” he said.
While reticulated pythons are nonvenomous, they are powerful constrictors capable of killing large animals, including humans. That reality makes coexistence difficult, even as conservationists stress the ecological role these snakes play.
Frentiu hopes the attention changes how people see animals like Ibu Baron. “Our hope is for pythons and other giant snakes to no longer be seen as vermin, but rather as a symbol of the islands and necessary animals to the ecosystem,” he told Guinness.
There might be larger snakes still out there, hidden in forests that keep getting smaller. For now, Ibu Baron holds the title, showing us that the natural world can still produce creatures that feel wildly out of proportion to what our brains can grasp.
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