A snake in southwest Indonesia recently shattered the Guinness World Record for the longest serpent ever found in the wild, measuring a whopping 23-feet-and-8-inches from head to tail.

Longest Snake Ever Measured

The giant female reticulated python, nicknamed “Ibu Baron” (the Baroness), measures at about the same length as a regulation soccer goal. Though this is 10 inches longer than the previous record, which was recorded in 1999, onsite herpetologists suspect her length may actually be even longer.

The official world record took place in Maros, which is located in the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi, earlier this year. The measuring and documenting of the reptile was undertaken by a team of experts, which included local conservationist Budi Purwanto, snake handler Diaz Nugraha, and photographer Radu Frentiu.

The true size of the snake may exceed the team’s measurements, however, because the snake was awake and not under anaesthesia. Snakes are capable of lengthening up to 10 percent when their muscles are relaxed during sedation, which means the record-breaking snake could be as long as 26 feet. As this procedure is risky, conservationalists didn’t want to risk endangering her.

Researchers also weighed the snake and recorded her at a staggering 213 pounds. According to the recent Guinness World Record announcement, this is approximately the same weight as a mature panda. She is likely sometimes heavier than this as well, as she hadn’t eaten recently at the time of her weigh-in.

Though reticulated pythons aren’t venomous, they’re still dangerous due to their extremely strong muscles, which they use to squeeze and asphyxiate their prey.

“Every coil of muscle is a powerhouse on that snake and it seemed to work individually,” Frentiu said in a statement. “So it’s the power of such a snake that silently impresses you the most, along with its ability to expand when swallowing enormous prey, right up to the size of a cow, which is virtually impossible for most people to comprehend.”

“Our hope is for pythons and other giant snakes to no longer be seen as vermin, but rather as a symbol of the islands and necessary animals to the ecosystem,” Frentiu added.