# Colubrids > General Colubrids >  largest colubrid species?

## mainbutter

In terms of weight, anyone know what the largest colubrid in the world is?  I'm just curious.  I know a couple species get to be 10ft+ but like most colubrids they're built like spaghetti.

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## CoolioTiffany

Umm.. maybe Indigos? (I think that's what they are called..)
They seem to be kinda heavy-looking. Not meaning fat, but heavily scaled.

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_mainbutter_ (07-28-2009)

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## SerpentesCiconii

Drymarchon melanurus rubidus are known to get over 20 lbs.

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_mainbutter_ (07-28-2009)

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## xXxFluffyEmoxXx

> Umm.. maybe Indigos? (I think that's what they are called..)
> They seem to be kinda heavy-looking. Not meaning fat, but heavily scaled.


You are right there tiff. Its called the Indigo Snake. 

  The Eastern Indigo Snake is the largest non-venomous snake in North America. The indigo is yet another herp species that illustrates the severity of the problems faced by numerous reptiles and amphibians. Of the six threats to the herpetofauna outlined by Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC), populations of the indigo snake have been dramatically affected by two threats: habitat loss and unsustainable use. Population declines have been so substantial that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed indigo snakes as a "threatened species" in 1979—for a snake species to be federally listed, the problem has to be bad, as snakes are not typically high on the list of people’s favorite animals. Indigo snakes are protected at the state level in Alabama, and have full protection as a threatened species in Florida and Georgia, and as an endangered species in South Carolina and Mississippi.

EDIT!!!!


The indigo snake, a member of the colubrid family of snakes, is the (unofficially) longest snake in North America, with the longest recorded specimen measuring 9.2 feet (2.8m), but it is not the longest of its genus. The yellowtail cribo, also of the genus Drymarchon, has been known to reach 10 feet (3.05m) in length, but it is located in Central and South America and is dwarfed by the anaconda, the largest (longest and heaviest) known snake in the Americas. The eastern diamondback rattlesnake gets much heavier than the indigo but is not as long. The indigo snake gets its name from the glossy iridescent blackish-purple sheen it displays in bright light.
It is carnivorous, like all snakes, and will eat any other small animal it can overpower. It has been known to kill its prey by wildly beating it against nearby objects. Captive specimen are frequently fed dead prey to prevent injury to the snake from this violent method of subduing its prey. Its diet has been known to include other snakes (ophiophagy), including venomous ones, as it is immune to the venom of the North American rattlesnakes. It often will cohabit with gopher tortoises in their underground burrows, although it will settle for armadillo holes, hollow logs, and debris piles when gopher tortoise burrows can't be found. Hunters, hoping to flush out rattlesnakes, often wind up accidentally killing indigo snakes when they illegally pour gasoline into the burrows of gopher tortoises (a practice referred to as "gassing"), even though the tortoises themselves are also endangered and protected.

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_mainbutter_ (07-28-2009)

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## CoolioTiffany

> You are right there tiff. Its called the Indigo Snake. 
> 
>   The Eastern Indigo Snake is the largest non-venomous snake in North America. The indigo is yet another herp species that illustrates the severity of the problems faced by numerous reptiles and amphibians. Of the six threats to the herpetofauna outlined by Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC), populations of the indigo snake have been dramatically affected by two threats: habitat loss and unsustainable use. Population declines have been so substantial that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed indigo snakes as a "threatened species" in 1979for a snake species to be federally listed, the problem has to be bad, as snakes are not typically high on the list of peoples favorite animals. Indigo snakes are protected at the state level in Alabama, and have full protection as a threatened species in Florida and Georgia, and as an endangered species in South Carolina and Mississippi.


OOooohhhh what noww I got it riiiiggghhtt! Lol. I just thought it was an Indigo cuz those things looks ginormous :Surprised:

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_mainbutter_ (07-28-2009)

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## Brewster320

I think the longest colubrid would be some type of asian rat snake, a few of them get pretty long. In North America its a toss up between the Black Rat Snake, the Indigo, and the Pine/Bull Snakes.

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_mainbutter_ (07-28-2009)

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## Skiploder

Largest colubrid in the world - not North America - right?

Spilotes and Ptyas Carinatus can get to up to 14' in length.

Weight wise - well, awhile ago on another forum, someone stated that it was the FWC.

At the time, I scoffed, until I saw and held what I could only describe as a full grown "bull" male FWC.  

It had to be close to 9' or more in length and was heavier and girthier than any indigo or cribo I've been around.

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_mainbutter_ (07-28-2009)

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## Patrick Long

I woud not doubt that the FWC is the heaviest colubrid. They can push 9' about as big around as an adult male wrist.

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_mainbutter_ (07-28-2009)

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## Skiploder

My largest black-tail cribo weighs a cool 8.1 pounds at 7'3".  The FWC I referenced in my above post was, to my uncalibrated hand, quite a bit heavier.

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_mainbutter_ (07-28-2009)

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## mainbutter

thanks guys  :Very Happy:

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## SerpentesCiconii

Where was this large FWC and would it be possible to get pics? I have always heard of 9 footers but personally never seen any larger than maybe 7.5 ft. 

Alan Brutosky has massive rubidus. If you have not seem them you should check it out. I have seen large Pseudaspis and other Drymarchon but none compare to his rubidus.

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## Skiploder

> Where was this large FWC and would it be possible to get pics? I have always heard of 9 footers but personally never seen any larger than maybe 7.5 ft. 
> 
> Alan Brutosky has massive rubidus. If you have not seem them you should check it out. I have seen large Pseudaspis and other Drymarchon but none compare to his rubidus.


Where was it?  California - Kensington to be exact.  I sold a guy a yellow tail cribo.  I delivered the snake to his house and he showed me his collection.  

I've seen M. corais rubidus, but have never seen any that were longer than a yellow tail or thicker than an indigo.

Do you have any photos of Alan Brutosky's red-tail?

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## SerpentesCiconii

PM sent.

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## Patrick Long

You cant do that.

We wanna see too!!!!

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## Skiploder

> You cant do that.
> 
> We wanna see too!!!!


It's a good one too.

Chubby little sucker he is............

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## Patrick Long

> It's a good one too.
> 
> Chubby little sucker he is............


Salt in the wounds

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