Video: Snake on display in Abu Dhabi believed to be world's largest

Abu Dhabi - She will live at the Flooded Forest Zone along with more than 8,000 fascinating rainforest creatures.

The UAE’s newest 14-year-old resident is an excellent swimmer, weighs 115kg and prefers a diet of ducks and rabbits. When measured, it took 12 people to hold her at full length.

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We are talking about, what is believed to be, the largest living snake on display in the world.

Super Snake is a seven-metre reticulated python and The National Aquarium (TNA) at Al Qana in Abu Dhabi is her new home. She will live at the Flooded Forest Zone along with more than 8,000 fascinating rainforest creatures.

Native to South and Southeast Asia, the reticulated python is the world’s longest snake. They can grow to be over five metres long in the wild, with the largest ever recorded at 10 metres.

Although this species is non-venomous, they kill prey by wrapping themselves around them and constricting tighter as the victim exhales. Making them even scarier, pythons’ jaws are connected by very flexible ligaments, allowing them to stretch around large prey and swallow them whole.

Reticulated pythons are widely feared due to their size and ferocity and are among the few snakes that can prey on humans.

Although attacks on humans are not common, this species has been responsible for several reported human fatalities. Considering their incredible size, a full-grown reticulated python can open its jaws wide enough to swallow a small person. There have been numerous reports of people being eaten by reticulated pythons, particularly on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Super Snake is of similar size to these reported man-eaters.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com