Bronx Zoo World’s largest Snake: Finding & Caring for a Giant Reticulated Python (Bronx Zoo)

F

findi

Well-Known Member
Hi All,
While working at the Bronx Zoo, I had the once-in-a lifetime opportunity of helping to import and care for one of the largest snakes in captivity. While “largest snake” debates are ongoing, the massive Reticulated Python I came to know was awe-inspiring by any standard. Dubbed “Samantha”, she was captured as an adult in Borneo, and eventually reached 26 feet in length and 275 pounds in weight. The story of how she arrived in the USA involves a cash reward established by Theodore Roosevelt, the leather trade, animal dealers and other twists and turns.
Wanted: 30 Foot-Long-Snake
In 1910, Theodore Roosevelt, long involved with the Bronx Zoo, offered a reward to the first person who presented a snake of 30 feet in length; in time the reward grew to $50,000. In 1992, I and other Bronx Zoo staff heard rumors that a giant Reticulated Python that had been captured in Borneo. We did not get overly-excited… being well-seasoned, I automatically deducted 25-50% from the size of any “biggest snake-turtle-croc” stories that came my way. But then grainy photos arrived by mail, and the snake depicted was, if not the largest I’d seen, impressive. Whether by design or bad luck, the photos did not allow us to accurately gauge the animal’s length.
In those pre-internet days, it was difficult to correspond with the leather company that owned the snake, which was confined in a railroad car near Samarinda, Borneo. Then as now, importing large animals was fraught with difficulties. Therefore, we enlisted the help of a local leather company with ties in the region and a trusted animal importer.
Read article here World?s Largest Snake - Finding and Keeping a Giant Reticulated Python | That Reptile Blog.
Comments and questions appreciated. As I do not place notices here each time I post a new article on That Reptile Blog, you may wish to check in periodically or subscribe; you can do so here That Reptile Blog. Please also check out my posts on Twitter Twitter.

Thanks, Frank
My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with That Pet Place welcomes Zoologist/Herpetologist Frank Indiviglio to That Reptile Blog | That Reptile Blog
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That's a really interesting story! Thanks for sharing it with us. I've always liked reptiles, and the larger they are the better! Was she the largest snake ever held in captivity and is she still alive?
 
arcticwolf said:
That's a really interesting story! Thanks for sharing it with us. I've always liked reptiles, and the larger they are the better! Was she the largest snake ever held in captivity and is she still alive?
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Hi,

Thanks for the kind words. She died in 2002, likely in her 20's but impossible to say as was wild caught as an adult. A few larger Retics and Burmese have surfaced. Click on article link and then click on "photos of Samantha and others" under "Further Reading" to see more on them.

Best, Frank
 
Hi Frank,

I vividly remember the day that Samantha was first fed in view of the public. The Hort Dept crew came and told me I HAD to go see and it was a rare sight. In fact, it was worth checking up on the little pig's progress for days after.
 
Yes, it was a great to be able to watch so closely, especially for the staff...you were working for Hort at the time? Best, Frank
 
I heard of the reward for the 'giant snake' on a documentary by the Smithsonian Channel talking about the dicovery of the largest snake that ever existed (long Extinct I'm afraid). According to the program, the reward still goes unclaimed and the closest had been an approx. 28.5 (something like that) ft. Burmese Python.
 
Hi,

Thanks for your interest. The reward was never claimed, and is no longer being offered. I'm not aware of a Burmese of that length being submitted before or since my time at the Bx Zoo, but not impossible. I'll keep an eye out for more info, Best. Frank
 
findi said:
Hi,

Thanks for your interest. The reward was never claimed, and is no longer being offered. I'm not aware of a Burmese of that length being submitted before or since my time at the Bx Zoo, but not impossible. I'll keep an eye out for more info, Best. Frank
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Do you still work at the Bronx Zoo. It's one of my favorite zoos and I've been visiting for years. I'm looking into a summer program that I could do. Anything good for a 15 year old. Maybe you should respond via PM.
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Do you still work at the Bronx Zoo. It's one of my favorite zoos and I've been visiting for years. I'm looking into a summer program that I could do. Anything good for a 15 year old. Maybe you should respond via PM.
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Hi,

I sent a PM. here's a link to an article on Prepping for a Career in Herpetology
 general principles apply to working with other animals, but please let me know if you need more specific info. Link to Part II of article is at bottom of the page, under "Related Posts".

Best, Frank
 
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