---
title: "black mamba vs reticulated python — size, speed and bite force"
description: "black mamba and reticulated python compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle an encou"
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/black-mamba-vs-reticulated-python/
site: "At One Place"
---

# black mamba vs reticulated python

**black mamba vs reticulated python: reticulated python leads on 3 of 3 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The fastest snake and Africa's longest venomous one; it is named for the black inside of its mouth, not its colour. The longest snake in the world; the record animal measured 10 m. On the measurements below, reticulated python leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.

## The measurements

|  | black mamba | reticulated python |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 1–3.1 kg | 25–160 kg |
| Length | 2–4.3 m | 3–10 m |
| Top speed | 11–20 km/h | — |
| Lifespan | 10–20 yr | 15–29 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: reticulated python is 38× heavier.
- Length: reticulated python is 2.0× longer.
- Lifespan: reticulated python is 1.8× a longer life.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a black mamba bigger than a reticulated python?

reticulated python is heavier — 25–160 kg against 1–3.1 kg.

### Who would win, a black mamba or a reticulated python?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a black mamba weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/black-mamba/)
- [How much does a reticulated python weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/reticulated-python/)
- [lion vs reticulated python](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-reticulated-python/)
- [leopard vs reticulated python](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-reticulated-python/)
- [jaguar vs reticulated python](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-reticulated-python/)
- [cheetah vs reticulated python](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-reticulated-python/)
- [cougar vs reticulated python](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-reticulated-python/)
- [domestic cat vs reticulated python](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-reticulated-python/)
- [grizzly bear vs reticulated python](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-reticulated-python/)
- [polar bear vs reticulated python](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/polar-bear-vs-reticulated-python/)
- [giant panda vs reticulated python](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/giant-panda-vs-reticulated-python/)
- [gray wolf vs reticulated python](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/gray-wolf-vs-reticulated-python/)
- [coyote vs reticulated python](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/coyote-vs-reticulated-python/)
- [red fox vs reticulated python](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/red-fox-vs-reticulated-python/)

## Sources

- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)