30 meter anaconda. ​50 interesting facts about anaconda

The impenetrable jungles of South America, through which the deepest river in the world flows - the Amazon. Its waters hide many different animals from people's eyes, but the most impressive of them is the giant anaconda!

This representative of large aquatic boas chooses to live in quiet tributaries and wetlands of the Amazon jungle and its neighbor Orinoco. The greenish-yellow color with brown spots reliably hides the snake in dark water among plants and foliage.

And the water itself allows you to be fast and agile, because a giant snake in adulthood can reach a length of 6 meters and weigh 150 kilograms. However, this is far from the limit. Scientists have encountered anacondas twice this size.

The Indians living in the selva of the great river dubbed the giant snakes - sukuriju, which translates as “giant monster”. They prefer to stay away from areas where anacondas can be found. Although the opinion that the snake hunts people is not entirely true.

The main food of aquatic giants are other snakes, mammals and birds, which are abundant in the jungle and especially near the water. But in fairness, it is worth noting that attacks on people did take place.

The first encounters with anacondas were described by Spanish colonialists, noting that the snakes reached a length of up to 20 meters. One of the Amazon explorers, Colonel Percy Fawcett, said that he saw a 19-meter snake.

True, the girth of her body, according to the narrator, was only 30 centimeters, which raises some doubts about the reliability of the information. After all, caught anacondas 10 meters long had a girth of about 2 meters.

As further study of these aquatic boas has shown, a 30-centimeter girth usually corresponds to a snake “only” 6 meters long.

The testimony of priest Viktor Heinz, dated 1925, is more credible. The respected gentleman says that the snake he encountered was 20 meters long. But, according to the holy father, he indicated the dimensions of that part of the snake that was above the water.

The priest defined the giant’s girth as a “barrel”. Documentary evidence is not limited to these dimensions of snakes. So several French-Brazilian researchers discovered a 23-meter anaconda.

The snake was shot, which made it possible to take measurements of the monster. The documents indicate the dimensions of the boa constrictor's head. Its length was 50 centimeters, and at the neck 60 centimeters.

In addition to records, there are also photographs of giants. In 1948, in Pernambuco, Brazil, a newspaper published a photograph of a 40-meter-long anaconda. During the same period of time, another newspaper published a photo of a 35-meter snake. But scientists did not take these photographs seriously.

In our time, the anaconda, which was discovered in Colombia in 1944, is considered the record holder among aquatic boas, and its existence was duly documented. Its length reached 11 meters 43 centimeters. Since the fact of its existence was established, the anaconda took a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

In captivity, the largest anaconda lives in New York, in the terrarium of the Zoological Society. The 130-kilogram snake is 9 meters long.

However, the search for the largest anaconda does not stop. Those who want to catch the snake are attracted not only by the opportunity to write their name in history, but also by the $50,000 prize established in this country in the 1930s.

Nevertheless, before you go in search of the world's largest anaconda, it is worth keeping in mind that in order to receive a prize you must provide the body of a snake, that is, bring it from the wilds of the Amazon, and it is not difficult to imagine how much it can weigh, based on the dimensions indicated above.

Niramin - Dec 10th, 2016

The anaconda lives in the inaccessible tropical forests of South America, preferring to spend most of its time in the numerous bodies of water in the Amazonian lowland. Therefore, the anaconda is often called a water boa.

It’s not for nothing that the anaconda is called giant. This huge snake looks quite impressive, differing from most of its relatives in its enormous size. The largest anaconda is 5.2 m long and weighs 97.5 kg. However, in 1944, geologists, searching for oil in the jungles of Colombia, accidentally came across an anaconda, the length of which turned out to be 11 m and 43 cm. However, direct evidence of the huge size of the snake was not provided, and since then no one has been able to see a snake of such huge size. At one time, the US Zoological Society even awarded a prize of an impressive sum to those who found an anaconda whose size exceeded 12 m.

The greenish-gray coloring of the snake and large brown spots scattered over the body in a checkerboard pattern camouflage the anaconda very well during the hunt. The snake is not able to hear sounds, but it perfectly senses the slightest vibrations in its body and instantly reacts to them. During periodic molting, she goes blind. The anaconda can stay in water for a long time thanks to special valves that close its nostrils when immersed. The boa constrictor always stays close to a body of water, but if dry periods occur and it is difficult to find another body of water, the anaconda buries itself in the silt and enters a state of suspended animation until the start of the rainy season.

Since the anaconda is a boa constrictor, it does not need to kill its prey with venom, as other snakes do. Therefore it is not poisonous. But this snake has another weapon - it wraps itself around its victim and is capable of strangling a small crocodile in its deadly embrace.

This boa constrictor feeds not only on crocodiles, but also on various reptiles, small mammals, as well as rodents, birds and lizards. They do not disdain their fellow tribesmen. They can, without a twinge of conscience, dine on a python and snack on a representative of their own species.

Anaconda is an ovoviviparous snake. Therefore, future offspring spend more than six months inside the eggs, which develop in the mother’s body. Small anacondas leave the egg shell there, after which they are born quite ready for independent life.

Photo: Anaconda underwater.

Video: Anaconda (lat. Eunectes murinus)

International scientific name

Eunectes murinus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Taxonomy on Wikispecies

Images on Wikimedia Commons

ITIS NCBI EOL

Coming from the city of Antiocha to Cartagena, when we settled it, Captain Jorge Robledo and others discovered so many fish that we killed with sticks whatever we wanted to catch... In addition, there are very large snakes in the thickets. I want to tell and tell about something reliably known, although I have not seen it [myself], but many contemporaries have met who are trustworthy, and this is what it is: when, by order of the licentiate of St. Croix, Lieutenant Juan Creciano passed along this road in search of Licentiate Juan de Vadillo, leading with him several Spaniards, among whom were a certain Manuel de Peralta, Pedro de Barros, and Pedro Shimon, they came across a snake or snake, so large that it was 20 feet long, and very thick. His head is light red and his green eyes are terrifying, and since he saw them, he wanted to head towards them, but Pedro Shimon inflicted such a wound on him with a spear that even though he flew into [indescribable] rage, [still ] died. And they found in his belly a whole fawn [tapir?], as he was when he ate it; I will also say that some hungry Spaniards began to eat the deer and even part of the snake.

Cieza de Leon, Pedro. Chronicle of Peru. Part one. Chapter IX.

Appearance

Anaconda is the largest modern snake. Its average length is 5-6 meters, and specimens of 8-9 meters are often found. A unique specimen from eastern Colombia, unique in size and reliably measured, measured 11.43 m in length (this specimen, however, could not be preserved). Currently, the largest known giant anaconda is about 9 meters long and weighs about 130 kg, and is kept at the New York Zoological Society.

The main color of the anaconda's body is grayish-green with two rows of large brown spots of round or oblong shape, alternating in a checkerboard pattern. On the sides of the body there is a row of smaller yellow spots surrounded by black rings. This coloring effectively camouflages the snake when it lurks in calm water covered with brown leaves and tufts of algae.

Anaconda is not poisonous. Females are much larger and stronger than males.

Range and problem of conservation of the species

Due to the inaccessibility of the anaconda's habitats, it is difficult for scientists to estimate its numbers and monitor population dynamics. At least in the International Red Book, the conservation status of the anaconda is listed in the “threat has not been assessed” category ( English Not Evaluated, NE) - due to lack of data. But in general, apparently, the anaconda can still be considered out of danger. There are many anacondas in zoos around the world, but it is quite difficult for them to take root in captivity. The maximum lifespan of an anaconda in a terrarium is 28 years, but usually in captivity these snakes live 5-6 years.

Lifestyle

Anaconda leads an almost entirely aquatic lifestyle. It lives in quiet, low-flowing river branches, backwaters, oxbow lakes and lakes in the Amazon and Orinoco basins.

In such reservoirs, the snake lies in wait for prey. She never crawls far from the water, although she often crawls out onto the shore and basks in the sun, sometimes climbing onto the lower branches of trees. The anaconda swims and dives well and can remain under water for a long time, while its nostrils are closed with special valves.

When a reservoir dries up, the anaconda crawls into another or goes downstream of the river. During the dry period, which occurs in some anaconda habitats, the snake buries itself in the bottom silt and falls into a stupor, in which it remains until the rains return.

Frequent cases of cannibalism have been reported among anacondas.

Most of the time, anacondas are solitary, but they gather in groups during mating season, which coincides with the onset of rains and occurs in April-May in the Amazon. During this period, males find females by following an odorous trail on the ground, guided by the smell of pheromones released by the female. It is believed that anacondas also release substances that attract a partner into the air, but this issue requires further research. During the mating period, you can observe how several very excited males scurry around one calmly lying female. Like many other snakes, anacondas form a ball of several intertwined individuals. When mating, the male wraps himself around the female’s body, using the rudiments of the hind limbs for traction (as all pseudopods do). During this ritual, a characteristic grinding sound is heard.

The female bears the offspring for 6-7 months. During pregnancy, she loses a lot of weight, often losing almost half her weight. Anaconda is ovoviviparous. The female brings from 28 to 42 baby snakes (apparently, their number can reach up to 100) 50-80 cm long, but can occasionally lay eggs.

An adult anaconda has practically no enemies in nature; occasionally, however, not very large anacondas are eaten by a jaguar or large caimans. The young die en masse from a variety of predators.

Subspecies

• Eunectes murinus murinus- type subspecies, found in the Amazon basin within Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru
• Eunectes murinus gigas- distributed in northern Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago.

These two subspecies were described a long time ago - in 1758 and 1801, respectively. They were distinguished by their color details and average sizes, which are slightly larger in the second subspecies.

Currently, it is believed that the giant anaconda does not form subspecies.

Other species of the genus Eunectes

southern anaconda

In the anaconda genus, 3 more species of snakes are known, closely related to the common anaconda:

• South, or Paraguayan, also known as yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), found in Paraguay, southern Bolivia and northern Argentina.

This snake is extremely similar in lifestyle to the common anaconda, but much smaller in size - its length does not exceed 3 m. The main difference in its color is the absence of light eyes in the side spots. The southern anaconda is quite small in number, and therefore is very rarely found in zoos. In captivity, it eats fish and small animals. As for reproduction, one case is known in captivity when a female, 9 months after mating, brought 8 baby snakes 55-60 cm long.

• Eunectes deschauenseei, found in northeastern Brazil and Guyana (scientifically described as a separate species in 1936). The color of this snake is dark spotted and reticulated.

Eunectes deschauenseei

• Eunectes beniensis- discovered quite recently, in 2002, in the upper reaches of the Beni River. Poorly studied.

Legends of the anaconda

Often in the descriptions of various “eyewitnesses” information is given about anacondas of monstrous length. It was not only amateurs who were guilty of this information. The famous British traveler to South America P. Fawcett wrote about snakes of incredible size, one of which he allegedly shot with his own hands:

“We went ashore and approached the snake with caution... We measured its length as accurately as possible: in the part of the body that protrudes from the water, it turned out to be forty-five feet and another seventeen feet were in the water, which together amounted to sixty-two feet. Its body was not thick with such a colossal length - no more than twelve inches ... Such large specimens as this one are not often found, but the tracks they leave in the swamps are sometimes six feet wide and testify in favor of those Indians who claim that anacondas sometimes reach incredible sizes, so that the specimen I shot must look like a dwarf next to them!.. I was told about a snake killed on the Paraguay River and exceeding eighty feet in length!” (62 feet = 18.9 m; 80 feet = 24.4 m; 12 inches = 30.5 cm)

Colonel Percy Fawcett (1867-1925), a famous expert on South America, who nevertheless left dubious descriptions of the anaconda

Now, without exception, all such stories are considered fiction (especially since Colonel Fawcett cited many other absolutely false information in his notes). Strictly speaking, even the above-mentioned specimen with a length of 11.43 m was not documented according to all the rules, and in any case, it was apparently unique in length. It is very significant that at the beginning of the 20th century in the USA twice - once by President Theodore Roosevelt and the second time by the New York Zoological Society a prize of 5 thousand dollars was announced for an anaconda with a length of more than 30 feet (just over 9 m), but remained unclaimed.

A value greater than 12 meters for a snake is meaningless, at least from a purely biological point of view. Even a 7-8 meter anaconda is guaranteed to defeat any animal in the jungle. Too much growth will be energetically unjustified - in the conditions of a humid tropical forest relatively poor in large animals, an overly large snake simply will not feed itself.

Equally fantastic are the stories about the hypnotic gaze of the anaconda, which supposedly paralyzes the victim, or about its poisonous breath, which has a detrimental effect on small animals. The same P. Fossett, for example, wrote:

“...a sharp, foul breath came from her; they say it has a stunning effect: the smell first attracts and then paralyzes the victim.”

Modern science, including taking into account the extensive experience of keeping anacondas in zoos, does not recognize anything like this. However, it is a fact that the anaconda emits a strong unpleasant odor.

Anaconda and man

Anacondas are often found near settlements. Domestic animals - pigs, dogs, chickens, etc. - often become prey for this snake. But the danger of the anaconda to humans, apparently, is greatly exaggerated. Isolated attacks on people are made by the anaconda, apparently by mistake, when the snake sees only part of a person’s body under water or if it seems to it that they want to attack it or take away its prey. The only reliable case - the death of a 13-year-old Indian boy swallowed by an anaconda - should be considered a rare exception. Another, recent case of the death of an adult is hardly reliable. On the contrary, the anaconda itself often becomes prey for the aborigines. The meat of this snake is valued by many Indian tribes; They say that it is very good, slightly sweet in taste. Anaconda skin is used for various crafts.

Notes

1. Anaconda- article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (Retrieved August 17, 2011)
2. // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional) - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
3. Zenkevich L. A. Life of animals. Vertebrates. T. 4, part 2: Amphibians, Reptiles. - M.: Education, 1969. - 487 p., p. 339.
4. Ananyeva N. B., Bor L. Ya., Darevsky I. S., Orlov N. L. Five-language dictionary of animal names. Amphibians and reptiles. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / under the general editorship of academician. V. E. Sokolova - M.: Rus.yaz., 1988. - P. 275. - 10,500 copies. - .
5. Kudryavtsev S.V., Frolov V.E., Korolev A.V. Terrarium and its inhabitants (review of species and maintenance in captivity). / Responsible editor V. E. Flint. - M.: Forest Industry, 1991. - P. 317. - 349 p. - ISBN 5-7120-018-2
6. Systematic list of vertebrates in zoological collections as of 01/01/2011 // Information collection of the Euro-Asian Regional Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Vol. 30. Interdepartmental collection. scientific and scientific method. tr. - M.: Moscow Zoo, 2011. - P. 304. - 570 p. - UDC:59.006 -
7. Darevsky I. S., Orlov N. L. Rare and endangered animals. Amphibians and reptiles / ed. V. E. Sokolova - M.: Higher. school, 1988. - P. 338. - 100,000 copies. - .
8. "Biological encyclopedic dictionary." Ch. ed. M. S. Gilyarov; Editorial team: A. A. Babaev, G. G. Vinberg, G. A. Zavarzin and others - 2nd ed., corrected. - M.: Sov. Encyclopedia, 1986. - P.25.
9. Pedro Cieza de Leon. Chronicle of Peru. Part one. . www.bloknot.info (A. Skromnitsky) (July 24, 2008). Archived from the original on August 21, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2010.

Anaconda belongs to the class Reptiles, family Pseudopods, subfamily Boa constrictors, genus Anaconda. Previously, this snake was called a water boa. Today, this name has disappeared because... For the first time, mention of the reptile is found in the book “Chronicles of Peru” and is dated 1553. A detailed description of the snake was not made at that time. According to research results, it has been established that the anaconda is the largest snake in the world.

The main color is marsh, less often green. There are brown spots along the snake's body, which are arranged in a checkerboard pattern. They can be round or elongated, with an uneven border. There are small yellow spots on the sides, around which there are black rings. This coloring is good camouflage in areas where the anaconda lives. The reservoirs in which it lives grow a lot of algae with brown and yellowish leaves that hide the snake.

The anaconda's skeleton is divided into a body and a tail. There are up to 435 vertebrae in the animal's body. The ribs of the snake are mobile and therefore, when swallowing a victim, they are capable of spreading over long distances. The reptile's heart shifts so as not to be squeezed by prey. An anaconda that has eaten looks strange, with a large expansion in the middle. The diameter of the body in this place becomes significantly larger. Movement becomes difficult and speed drops.

The snake's skull has a movable joint. Its bones are connected by elastic ligaments that allow the anaconda to open its mouth wide to swallow prey.

The nostrils and eyes are located at the top of the head, which allows you to breathe and observe what is happening around, partially raising it above the water surface. An anaconda can guard its prey by staying underwater for a long time and remaining invisible. The reptile attacks unexpectedly. The snake's eyes are designed in such a way that it tracks the movement of prey, but cannot focus its gaze on it for a long time. If the object of the hunt remains motionless, the reptile loses sight of it.

The skin is dense and dry because the body does not have mucous glands on the surface. The skin scales are glossy. Shedding occurs once, the old skin is shed like a stocking.

Anaconda does not produce poison. When saliva gets into the wound, intoxication of the body does not occur. The damage caused by a snake's teeth is painful. Bites become inflamed and take a long time to heal, since pathogenic bacteria are present on the reptile’s teeth. The teeth themselves are long and thin, so they easily penetrate tissue. Such a lesion is especially dangerous in nature, when there is no opportunity to get medical help, since the equatorial climate provokes the rapid development of inflammation.

Length

The length of the snake is 4-5 meters. Males are smaller than females. In length, reticulated pythons surpass anacondas, but not in weight. The weight of females reaches 70 kg, and the minimum weight of small males is 30 kg. The anaconda weighs more than the royal python, which is the longest snake.

Anaconda grows throughout its life. At first it is a rapid process, but later it slows down, but does not stop.

There is an opinion that the snake can be longer than 5 meters. The largest anaconda was an individual measuring 24 meters. However, these facts have not been confirmed. Biologists question the existence of the giant anaconda. Officially, the largest anaconda in the world was caught in Venezuela - this is a female with a length of 5 meters 21 centimeters. Her weight was 97.5 kg. This is the largest specimen that was caught. Scientists suggest that in nature you can find a large specimen, more than a meter longer than the average - up to 6 m 70 cm.

Where do anacondas live?

The snake lives in South America, in its tropical part (jungle). You can meet the anaconda east of the Andes, in Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia. It is also found in eastern Paraguay, northeastern Peru and northern Bolivia. Giant snakes discovered on the island of Trinidad.

It is difficult to estimate the number of snakes, since the world of the anaconda is inaccessible to humans. Because of this, there is no accurate data on what dynamics of population growth or decline this species has. Biologists are absolutely sure that at the moment the anaconda is not in danger of extinction.

In zoos, this giant species of snake is available in considerable numbers, despite a number of difficulties in providing the conditions necessary for the snake to live. The presence of such a reserve stock of individuals suggests that the animal cannot be on the path to extinction.

A swamp or river without a strong current is suitable for a snake. Reptiles remain in the selected body of water constantly. If it dries out, they move to a new place. During a drought, if the snake does not feel that there is water nearby, it buries itself in the mud and goes into a state of hibernation until the rains come. As soon as the water returns, the anaconda comes out of its torpor and returns to active life.

The snake spends most of its time in water. She briefly climbs onto the shore and driftwood to stay in the sun and accumulate heat. The anaconda is able to climb to the lower branches of large trees, on which it lies, basking in the sun.

The snake's molting takes place underwater. The reptile rubs against objects and gradually pulls off the old skin. This process was observed mainly in captivity, since observing anacondas in natural conditions is difficult.

What does it eat?

The snake is a predator. Its diet consists of mammals, birds and reptiles. In rare cases, the anaconda diversifies its diet with fish. The main prey a giant snake can catch is:

• agouti,
• iguanas,
• waterfowl.

Large individuals attack caimans, capybaras and peccaries. This large prey is rarely included in the snake's diet. A fight with a large prey is dangerous for the anaconda, so it does not strive for such a confrontation. It is difficult for a snake to devour such a victim.

Some individuals are capable of killing and eating other snakes. Zoos recorded a case in which a 2.5-meter-long python was eaten by an anaconda.

The reptile lies in ambush for a long time. When the prey comes close enough, the snake attacks it and, wrapping its body around it, strangles it. The anaconda does not break the victim’s bones, nor does it crush its internal organs. The death of prey occurs from suffocation, since the snake does not allow the victim to breathe, squeezing the lung area.

The food is swallowed whole. By stretching its mouth and throat, the snake stretches over the victim like a stocking. There are cases when an anaconda, when swallowing a victim, receives serious injuries. Biologists are convinced that the snake does not know how to estimate the size of its prey and does not see the danger in eating a large object. Snakes that swallow an animal that has claws, horns, or hard cutting scales often die.

How does it reproduce?

The anaconda spends most of its life alone. When mating, reptiles form large groups. This moment comes at the beginning of the rainy period that the Amazon experiences in April and May. Females leave a special odorous trail, which males use to find them. There is an assumption that the snake leaves an attractive odor on the ground for a future partner and releases similar substances into the air, increasing the speed of their spread.

Often, during the mating period, several excited males crawl around one female, who remains calm. As a result, a ball of snakes is formed. At the moment of mating, a grinding sound is heard due to the special skin of snakes.

Gestation lasts 6-7 months. Due to the inability to eat properly, the female loses weight by 2 times. This does not affect her condition.

Anaconda is an ovoviviparous snake. The development of the offspring occurs in the body. Baby snakes are born fully formed. The total number of offspring is 30-40 baby snakes. Scientists believe that large females give birth to up to 100 cubs. The length of newborns is 50-80 cm.

In rare cases, an anaconda may not incubate eggs in the body, but lay them. This phenomenon is considered exceptional and is typical only for emaciated females who cannot tolerate the formation of baby snakes in the body.

Enemies

Due to their size and weight, adult females are rarely targeted by predators. Males are more likely to be attacked by jaguars, pumas and caimans. In isolated cases, giant otters attack young individuals. There have also been cases of cannibalism.

The main danger is people. Local tribes value the meat of the reptile, which has a sweetish taste and is nutritious. Hunting an anaconda is not considered dangerous because it is afraid of people and does not show strong aggression, trying to scare the attacker and hide. The snake skin is used to make crafts that are sold to tourists.

Lifespan

The lifespan of snakes has not been precisely established, since anacondas live shorter in terrariums than a wild representative of the species in its natural habitat. In captivity, the snake lives 5-6 years, while the officially registered life expectancy of an anaconda in nature lasts up to 28 years. Presumably, the reptile can live longer, but due to the paucity of data, such cases have not been recorded. How long the terrible representative of reptiles can exist is unknown.

Biologists distinguish several subspecies of anaconda: royal, giant and yellow. They have a similar lifestyle and diet. The main differences in their characteristics are color and size.

The anaconda is a unique snake. This tropical, non-poisonous species is capable of reaching gigantic sizes. The snake study continues. Nature continues to surprise people with the characteristics of its inhabitants.

Anaconda is the largest reptile that lives on the planet. These huge snakes cause, if not panic fear, then outright panic. Weight 150 kilograms and length 10 meters - these are not fantastic fragments from an adventure book, these are real facts. What is the largest anaconda in the world recorded today, and what reward awaits the brave man who catches a snake more than 10 meters?

Giants of the animal world: descendants of ancient snakes

Ancient books mention powerful and great snakes that are capable of swallowing a person and even digesting a healthy bull. Evolutionary biologists are still debating the origins of reptiles.

Some believe that the snake originated from reptiles, while others refute this fact, expressing an opinion about the relationship between the snake known today and the ancient aquatic descendant. The huge ancient fossils on display in museums are comparable to the size of a school bus. The findings and assumptions of many biologists and scientists still remain the subject of debate and hypotheses that still await scientific confirmation or refutation.

Big secrets: what is known about anacondas today?

Thanks to existing facts, myths turn into frightening reality. A deadly predator with powerful muscles, a forked tongue for tracking down prey and strong, curved teeth for capturing food, this is the largest carnivorous reptile on the planet, the anaconda.

The snake's habitat is in hard-to-reach places in Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Paraguay. Low-flow areas of the Amazon River and lakes of the Orinoco Basin provide anacondas with the opportunity to catch even cattle. Snakes lead an aquatic lifestyle, but can easily move on land.

The lack of information and little study of the existing population of snakes does not provide the opportunity to more accurately establish some facts: how many individuals live in the world, what is their life expectancy in the wild, and how realistic are the statements about the existence of individuals larger than 20 meters. It is known that females are three times larger than males, their size and mass allow them to capture larger prey, and the eaten porcupine can be digested for about a week.

There are three known species of anacondas:

• giant anaconda;
• ordinary;
• green.

The snake lies in wait for the victim, as a rule, near a pond. Favorite delicacies include iguanas, waterfowl and turtles. Cases of cannibalism are a characteristic feature for snakes. At the zoo, an anaconda strangled and ate a 3-meter python, which was in the same terrarium with it.

Anaconda and man

Man and his way of life attract reptiles. Cases have been recorded when the female showed interest in small children, dogs and pets. The reptile is considered dangerous when meeting a person in the water. Here her agility and strength doubles. While on land the anaconda is quite apathetic towards humans. Cases when an anaconda attacks a person are rare and are considered an exception rather than a pattern. When meeting a person, the anaconda opens its large mouth, trying to scare. The snake perceives a person as a predator, not food.

Cases of encounters between a man and an anaconda described in books are classified as “legends.” Since there are no reliable facts and documents confirming the existence of a snake larger than 10 meters. A common story, described in detail in books, concerns 1944, when geologists caught an anaconda measuring 11 meters and 43 centimeters in the jungles of Colombia. Until now, reptiles with these sizes have not been found. A special reward of $50,000 (established in America) awaits the brave person who catches and delivers an anaconda measuring more than 9 meters and 12 centimeters.

Huge death machine - South American anaconda

The anaconda's punching force is like that of a heavy boxer, a group of powerful muscles that wrap around the victim and kill without the slightest drop of poison. The victim dies from suffocation. The main advantage of a reptile is its weight and muscles; by wrapping itself around the victim, the snake does not allow the victim to breathe. After the anaconda feels that the victim is being strangled, it is time to eat. Large and curved teeth swallow and push food, and the reptile's throat stretches to impressive sizes at the moment of swallowing.

The largest anaconda in the world lives today at the Zoological Society of New York. Length and weight are listed as: 9 meters in length and 130 kg live weight. Statements about the capture of a specimen larger than 15 meters today have no confirmation. In nature, anacondas are found 4-5 meters long. Large reptiles are rare.

Weaknesses of the Intimidating Reptile

The natural habitat for anacondas is ponds with large thickets. Here the hunt for prey takes place, stocking up on the required amount of fat for bearing offspring. Increased appetite is typical for anacondas during the premarital period. The female absorbs a large amount of food, because during pregnancy (7 months) she will not eat food. Bearing offspring for some snakes ends tragically: death from starvation at the end of the term is a common occurrence.

The process of eating food is also considered a dangerous moment for the life of a reptile. After all, at this moment the snake is defenseless against a potential enemy, and if another predator sees it while swallowing food, most likely the snake itself will become a victim. If we take into account such a distinctive feature as the duration of ingestion of more than 5 hours, then there is plenty of time for the snake to be absorbed by a predator. The reptile becomes a victim of an attack by a jaguar, caiman or a school of piranhas in a pond.

Queen of Snakes: Interesting Facts

Anaconda is a snake that was considered little studied until the 20th century. Scientists, trying to find out some of the features of the reptile’s life and activity, moved for several years to live in places where it aggregated. Every new fact is news in the world of science.

Today the following is known about the anaconda:

• the female is larger and stronger than the male;
• scientific name – Eunectes;
• anaconda is the most “water-loving” snake;
• the snake strangles the victim until it feels the heartbeat;
• the teeth serve as a means of capturing the victim, the main power of the reptile is its muscles;
• females give birth to live fry, while other reptiles lay eggs;
• number of descendants – 25-30;
• from one brood, only 20-30% of individuals survive up to a year;
• at the beginning of the mating season, the female anaconda spreads a smell in the air that attracts the male;
• eyes and nostrils are located at the top of the head;
• growth does not stop throughout life;
• life expectancy in captivity is 5 years, in nature – 35-40;
• acids can dissolve even large bones;
• After a reptile defecates, it is impossible to tell which animal was eaten.

The largest anaconda in the world, which was caught and measured by a person, is not considered an indicator. After all, it is known that the length of a reptile in the wild can reach 15 meters or more. Facts known to scientists change the understanding of the real parameters of this giant every year. Perhaps in a few years a new record for the longest snake in the world will be set. After all, climate changes on the planet and a decrease in the number of reservoirs only contribute to the growth of this population. Every year the length of the anaconda increases.