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49-foot python captured in Indonesia
983-lb creature believed to be world's largest

The Associated Press
Updated: 10:00 a.m. ET Jan. 8, 2004

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Indonesian villagers claim to have captured a python that is almost 49 feet long and weighs nearly 990 pounds, a local official said.

If confirmed, it would be the largest snake ever kept in captivity.

Hundreds of people have flocked to see the snake at a primitive zoo in Curugsewu village on the country’s main island of Java.

Local government official Rachmat said the reticulated python measured 48 feet 8 inches and weighed in at 983 pounds.

The Guinness Book of World Records lists the longest ever captured snake to be 32 feet. The heaviest — a Burmese Python kept in Gurnee, Ill. — weighs 402 pounds, the book said on its Web site.

The Indonesian newspaper Republika said the snake, which was caught last year but only recently put on public display, eats three or four dogs a month.

Reticulated pythons are the world’s longest snakes. They are capable of eating animals as large as sheep, and have been known to attack and consume humans.

The species is native to the swamps and jungles of Southeast Asia.

© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3845750/
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1.1 Diamond X Carpet Cross
1.1 Brazillian Rainbow Boas
0.1 New Guinea Water Python
1.1 Okeetee Corns
0.1 Yellowhead Retic

Have we got a pic? I'd love to see that.

You must have missed it. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3845750/

You guys must have missed this story last year. This came out a year ago and the snake has been measured. It turned out to be around 20 feet. Check the link below.
Updated story

OK, I remember now. Wasn't sure if it was the same one or not. Now I know. Musta been a brain fart.

That's what I thought too, just wasn't sure if this was the same story.

Did any of you read that news story about the snake, as long as a telephone pole, saving the lives of a woman and a couple of children in the tsunami? That would be a record breaker.

That was in here a little while ago as well, It was called "good press" i believe. I would love to meet the educated people that said this thing was half a ton and almost 50 feet long. Also when you read that article about the mammoth retic it states,"have been known to attack and consume humans." Since when does a retic ATTACK anything that doesn't bother it? Let alone a human. Sure there are a few cases (what 10-20 at the most?) As far as consuming, look at the records, what is mostly consumed by large snakes, Adults children, etc? Im not sure but im willing to think its either adults poaching them, or just little kids being curious. I hate the press so much, some of the things they say and the way there stories are its just so Pathetic lets publish half the facts and 1/4 of the half is made up so they look worse.

My two cents and Sorry about the tangent its Just yet another way the public is going to continiously screw over the Herpers everywhere.
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Pat
1.1 (100% het albino) Retics
1.1 Coastal Carpet Pythons

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Edited on January 29, 2005 at 09:18:37 by phwyvern.

Well, knowing the average wild caught retic's temperament,and yes I realize much of that came from being handled badly, I guess I'd be mean too. They certainly get large enough to eat an adult human. When something that large is really hungry, and a human was unfortunate enough to get to close, he could very well become retic dinner. Then there's the fact that humans in that part of the world are smaller in stature than those in this part of the world. So take it with a grain of salt or believe in it wholeheartedly, the possibility is there.

the deffense and feeding response you are referring to as "mean" is a snake doing what a snake should and needs to do to survive. The interaction between human and retic (or snake in general) will always be the fault of the human and thus they are responsible for any mishaps which occur. The publicity from these occurances is the product of capitalism and the need to sell a story...NOT the product of fact or the truth about the balance of survival in the natural world.

This claim was made about a year and a half ago and was proven false. The claimed 49' retic was a mere but still impressive 22'.
This is simply another attempt by a third world associatation to attract attention to themselves.....

I think maybe you just saw the same report from the past. Try looking at copyright dates before hyping people up. Brian W.

Also consider the eco-system required to support such an animal, COMMON SENSE PEOPLE!!!

This was "News" on MSN a few days ago. It does appear that it was "old news" at best, and completely wrong regardless. Try not being so obnoxious before you take up bandwidth needlessly. Use COMMON SENSE man!

Mike Miller

>>This claim was made about a year and a half ago and was proven false. The claimed 49' retic was a mere but still impressive 22'.
>>This is simply another attempt by a third world associatation to attract attention to themselves.....
>>
>>I think maybe you just saw the same report from the past. Try looking at copyright dates before hyping people up. Brian W.
>>
>>Also consider the eco-system required to support such an animal, COMMON SENSE PEOPLE!!!
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1.1 Diamond X Carpet Cross
1.1 Brazillian Rainbow Boas
0.1 New Guinea Water Python
1.1 Okeetee Corns
0.1 Yellowhead Retic