Is the “Pan Mountain Python” in the Qinling Mountains real? How big is the largest snake in the world?
Snakes are often regarded as a terrifying species, and many people are afraid of them. This is because of their size, patterns, and venom, which make them intimidating and give people a sense of fear. Currently, there are over 3,000 species of snakes in the world, including 650 venomous snakes, and the python is the largest known species of snake.
There are also many myths and legends surrounding snakes. Some people claim to have seen super large snakes, while others claim that snakes have come to them in their dreams, and some have experienced situations where snakes have entered their homes and refused to leave.
There are also many legends about snakes in ancient Chinese mythology. For example, the “Zhulong” or “Nine Yin Candle Dragon” was recorded in the “Classic of Mountains and Seas”. It was a mountain god with a human face and a snake body, which was a thousand miles long. There is also the giant snake called the “Coiled Snake” in the “Extensive Records of the Taiping Era”.
These legends all have one thing in common: these snakes are very large. So how big is the largest snake in the world? The largest recorded snake in the world is the Anaconda, which can reportedly grow up to over 10 meters long and weigh over 250 kilograms. However, most Anacondas are only around 5 meters long, and other species of snakes are generally smaller. So, does the “Pan Mountain Python” in the Qinling Mountains really exist?
There are many versions of the legend of the large snake in the Qinling Mountains. Some people claim to have seen a large snake over 20 meters long and as thick as a water barrel, swimming from south to north along a riverbank before disappearing into the mountains. Others claim to have witnessed many people attempting to capture a snake with a head the size of a washbasin, but ultimately failing. There are also many alleged eyewitnesses who claim to have seen a snake as large as a mountain in the Qinling Mountains, some of whom have witnessed the snake drinking water or wearing a suit of silver armor. Some of these rumors are difficult to verify.
So, does the large snake in the Qinling Mountains really exist? Before the Qin Dynasty, the Qinling Mountains were known as the Kunlun Mountains and were referred to as the “ancestor of ten thousand mountains”. They serve as a geographical boundary between southern and northern China, and the climate, precipitation, vegetation, and local customs differ significantly on both sides of the mountains. The natural environment there is also very well preserved. After investigating, experts have found two species of larger snakes in the Qinling Mountains, namely the Wangjin Snake and the Blackhead Snake. Compared with other snake species, they are larger in size. The Blackhead Snake is thin and can grow to over three meters, while the Wangjin Snake can reach up to 2.5 meters in length and is as thick as a human arm. Experts have not found any evidence of pythons in the Qinling Mountains, so most of the legends about the large snake there are likely to be mere fantasies, dreams, or visual illusions. For example, the movement of trees during windy conditions might be mistaken for a large snake crawling, and rumors can quickly spread among people who believe them without verification.