Serpent of the Swamp

A snake of monstrous proportions.

While their smaller cousins can be dangerous enough, the Serpent of the Swamp is not a creature to be trifled with. Large enough that squeezing their prey is no longer necessary, these monstrous snakes can grow to be more than one hundred feet in length. Covered in rough, gray and green scales, they not only blend into the murky waters but from a distance can appear to be nothing more than a pile of boulders or a toppled tree. Some serpents rest in one place for so long that grasses begin to sprout from the patches between giant scales and vines wind up their rock-like sides. This provides excellent camouflage for the creature, and gives the serpent some protection from the climate as well.
The huge reptiles are too large to be especially active, but have learned to take advantage of the weather patterns and surroundings to satisfy their equally large appetites. Their jaws, when unhinged, can open to an incredible eleven feet, making it possible enough to swallow even a sizable creature. By waiting either mostly submerged within the scattered pools or curled like a rocky outcropping, the serpents simply sit with jaws open wide and wait for the unwise prey to walk right in. On land and in water alike, prey tend to search for a save cave or alcove to spend the night or to take shelter from rough weather. They don't realize the error, however, until the serpent's toxic saliva begins to take effect. A strong soporific, this "snake spit" can put a horse to sleep in a matter of minutes without giving the beast time to react to the danger. Prey, and even other predators, that mistake a Serpent of the Swamp for a cozy cavern rarely make it out into the night air before the giant reptile's jaws clamp shut. In the watery pools, a single serpent can eat hundreds of fish in a day, as well as any small birds or large insects that get too close.
It is really their extreme size, as well as the toxic bite, that keeps the huge snakes at the top of the food chain within the southern jungles of the continent. Because of the competition for food there are rarely more than a dozen serpents living in the swamps at one time, and young are often eaten by their own kin. Despite this, the creatures seems to have sustained themselves for far longer than we've been around to record such things.