All about the anaconda snake. Anaconda is the largest snake of our time

The main color of the anaconda is grayish-green with large dark brown spots of round or oblong shape, alternating in a checkerboard pattern. On the sides of the body there is a series of small light spots surrounded by a black stripe. This coloring perfectly hides the anaconda when it hides, lying in a quiet backwater, where brown leaves and tufts of algae float on the gray-green water. Favorite places anacondas are low-flowing branches and creeks, oxbow lakes and lakes, swampy lowlands in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. In such secluded corners, the anaconda, lying in the water, guards its prey of various mammals that come to drink (agouti, peccaries), waterfowl, sometimes turtles and young caimans. Domestic pigs, dogs, chickens, and ducks also fall prey to the anaconda when they approach water. The anaconda often crawls ashore and takes sunbathing, but does not go far from the water. She swims well, dives and can stay under water for a long time, while her nostrils are closed with special valves.

Strangler snakes are also called false-legged snakes, since they have rudiments of hind limbs in the form of claws on the sides of the anus. In addition, they have preserved rudiments of all three pelvic bones and hips (after all, snakes come from monitor lizards, from which they branched off in the Upper Jurassic period). They have powerful muscles as they strangle their prey before swallowing it. Their eyes have a vertical pupil.

The first subfamily, the so-called pythons, inhabit mainly Asia, especially Indochina and the Malay Archipelago. As for size, they really belong to the largest snakes in the world; some record holders reach 10 m in length.

Another subfamily is boa constrictors, whose homeland is tropical America. These include the famous boa constrictor, although rumors about its size are exaggerated; it is usually no longer than 4 meters. In addition to this, this subfamily includes the real giant anaconda boa constrictor, large specimens of which reached 11 meters. We are not talking about their thickness here, since it is not indicative: a boa constrictor that has just eaten lunch can have a colossal “carcass”, swollen from swallowed prey. In any case, the thickness itself wide place an uneaten anaconda is comparable to the body, and if larger, then not by much.

When a reservoir dries up, the anaconda moves to neighboring ones or goes downstream of the river. In case of excessive drying, when all nearby bodies of water dry up, it buries itself in sand or silt and enters a state resembling hibernation. This only applies to areas where seasonal droughts occur. In Brazil, for example, this snake remains vigorous and active all year round.

Scary stories about anaconda cannibalism are not true. Snakes never attack prey that they cannot swallow. Single attacks on people are carried out by it, 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.

It is well known that the lower jaw of a snake consists of two halves connected by a very elastic tendon. Also, with the help of tendons, and not a stable joint, it connects to the skull, which allows the snake to stretch its mouth to incredible sizes. However, this ability is not unlimited. The head itself big anaconda does not exceed 15 cm in diameter. No matter how it opens its mouth, neither the head nor the body of a person will squeeze through it.

As for swallowing prey “alive” by an anaconda, boas never do this at all, since they must first strangle the victim, squeezing it with their rings, as their name indicates.

Particularly colorful stories can be heard about the snake's gaze. It is sparkling, bewitching, chilling, and numbing people and animals.

All this, of course, is nonsense, but these snake eyes are already an anatomical curiosity. In fact, we don't see them at all.

Like this? “I, an experienced person will say, have never seen an anaconda, but I have met other snakes more than once and I know well that they have eyes, but only some dull, expressionless ones.”

This description corresponds to reality and indicates precisely that this man did not see the real eyes of the snake. The fact is that these reptiles have amazing phenomenon. Their upper and lower eyelids are fused together, resulting in their eyes being blocked from light. However, in order for them to somehow perform their functions for the benefit of the animal, the fused eyelids became transparent, as a result of which the snake looks through them, as if through glasses. Before molting, the old skin begins to separate from the body, the transparency of the eyelids sharply decreases, and then we cease to distinguish between the iris and pupils of the snake. She, for her part, also begins to see worse through these frosted “glasses.”

The molting process of an anaconda often takes place under water; in captivity, one has to observe how a snake, immersed in a pool, rubs its belly against its bottom and gradually pulls off its crawl. Anaconda, like many reptiles, including snakes, is ovoviviparous, and the female brings from 28 to 42 cubs 5080 cm long, but can occasionally lay eggs. Anaconda pregnancy lasts a very long time. Once, a female caught in Brazil, in October 1928, gave birth to almost a hundred cubs, but in the Berlin Zoo and after seven months. Newborn snakes were 3/4 m long.

In captivity, these snakes do not live long, 5-6 years, the maximum recorded life expectancy in captivity is 28 years. They feed mainly on rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, but they also eat various reptiles, fish and sometimes swallow snakes. One day, a 5-meter anaconda strangled and ate a 2.5-meter dark python, which took her only 45 minutes.

The common boa constrictor is also found near human habitation, where it hunts rodents and lizards. In some areas it is even almost “domesticated”: local residents keep boas in their houses and barns, and they regularly catch rats and mice, like cats.

During the breeding season, which occurs in different time in each subspecies, the common boa constrictor bears from 15 to 64 live young, each half a meter long. In two years they grow to 2-3 m in length and become sexually mature. When kept in captivity, the common boa constrictor readily eats mice, rats, pigeons and chickens. Young boas are well tamed, adult snakes are often vicious, hissing and biting a person if handled carelessly. Boas live in captivity for about ten years, but sometimes much longer, up to 23 years.

The Madagascar boa constrictor is very close in structure to common boa constrictor and until recently was included with it in the genus Constrictor, but some anatomical differences and a separate area forced it to be separated into an independent genus.

The unusually beautiful coloring of the body with diamond-shaped spots on the back and an intricate eye-shaped pattern on the sides is complemented by an intense bluish-green metallic sheen, especially bright on the back of the body. This snake, reaching three meters in length, inhabits the forests of Madagascar, where it always stays close to water. In captivity, he willingly eats various birds; he has a very calm disposition and never uses his teeth.

Based on the book by Jan Žabiński.

If you slowly drift downstream from the confluence of Abunan and Rio Negro, you can meet the triangular head of an anaconda. Her body is several feet. It squirms. This giant anaconda. I had to shoot her to save my life. When we came ashore, we approached the snake with great caution. We tried to measure its length. It turned out to be sixty-two feet. Anacondas this large are rare, but the tracks they leave in the swamps can be up to six feet wide. All this testifies in favor of the statement of those Indians and rubber tappers who claim that anacondas can reach incredible heights. large sizes. Any invasion of anaconda habitats is like playing with death.

In almost every depression filled with water, two or three of these monsters can be found. Local Indians fearlessly hunt snakes. They, gathered in groups of up to 10 people, jump into the water to kill the anaconda with knives. And they sometimes succeed.

In almost every book about South America you can encounter an anaconda.

The anaconda hunter is slow. Most often, she lies on the bottom and only occasionally raises her head above the water to see if her prey has approached the shore. She can simply swim with the flow of the river in search of schools of fish.

Most often, the anaconda hunts fish, various mammals that come to drink, waterfowl, sometimes turtles and young caimans. She kills with her deadly embrace - she strangles the victim.

Too much a big increase for the anaconda, excesses are biologically unjustified.

There are two types of anacondas. The second species is the southern anaconda. It lives to the south of the usual species and is much smaller in size (the limit is 3.25 meters). The anaconda is not brightly colored: a dark olive base tone, and oval black (“velvet”) spots are scattered throughout the body. The southern anaconda has a lighter background with a yellowish tint.

Anaconda is a real water boa constrictor. But she hunts prey not in the water, but near the shore: she grabs animals and birds that come to drink. In some areas, anacondas regularly prey on young crocodiles (caimans).

Anacondas do not lay eggs, but give birth to live young. There are from 30 to 80 of them in one litter. And they, newborns, are 70–90 centimeters long.

Precisely because of the inaccessibility of its habitats, very little is known about the habits of the giant anaconda. Almost all the information was collected from observing these animals in zoos. It is also difficult to estimate their number in wildlife. However, apparently, this species is not in danger of extinction.

The largest snake on the planet - anaconda, which refers to boa constrictors. Haven't met yet the snake is bigger than an anaconda. The average weight fluctuates around 100 kg, while the length reaches 6 meters or more. Some experts claim that 11 meters is not the limit for such an aquatic beauty.

True, such the length of an anaconda snake has not yet been scientifically documented. So far we have only been able to meet and conclusively note an anaconda, whose length was 9 meters; this, of course, is not 11 meters, but even such a snake’s size makes you shudder. By the way, female snakes are much larger and stronger than males.

Why "water beauty"? Because the anaconda has another name - water boa. It is in water, in shallow water, that it is easiest for her to catch prey and remain unnoticed. And nature took care of the anaconda’s secrecy. The skin color of this snake is gray-green; there are brown spots along the back that run in a checkerboard pattern.

The spots do not have a strictly defined shape; nature does not like geometry, and with such an “incorrect” color the snake has every chance of remaining unnoticed. In order to further blend in with the water, covered with fallen leaves, there are small yellowish spots with dark edging on the sides of the body.

Skin coloration is unique for each individual, so it is impossible to find two completely identical anacondas. Since the anaconda is a boa constrictor, it is endowed with great strength. It has no poison, in this regard it is harmless, but woe to anyone who treats it lightly - even a small deer can become prey.

This reptile is endowed not only with strength, but also with intelligence and even cunning. Animals and some people mistake its protruding, forked tongue for a dangerous organ, believing that it is with its help that harm will be caused. fatal bite. But this is how the snake simply navigates in space. The tongue recognizes the chemical component environment and sends a command to the brain.

Anaconda prefers to lead an aquatic lifestyle. She has no enemies in the water, and on land no one dares to mess with this dangerous predator. She also molts there. is a cold-blooded creature, therefore, if there is not enough warmth, it prefers to crawl ashore and bask in the sun, although it does not crawl far from the water.

If the reservoir dries up, the anaconda has to find another one, but when drought overtakes all reservoirs, this one buries itself in the silt and falls into a state of torpor, the only way it manages to survive until the new rainy season.

Anaconda habitat

Anaconda lives throughout the tropical South. They are quite comfortable in canals, rivers, lakes, they settled in the Amazon and Orinoco, and live on the island of Trinidad.

Savannah Llanos (Central Venezuela) turned out to be a snake paradise - the six-month rainy period creates an ideal place for anacondas to live and breed, which is why there are much more anacondas in those places than anywhere else. Local lagoons and swamps are wonderfully warmed by the sun, which adds even more favorable conditions in that anaconda snake world.

Anaconda nutrition

The diet of this boa constrictor is varied. Anaconda eats all small animals that can be caught. They eat fish, small rodents, waterfowl, lizards and turtles.

The snake’s stomach perfectly processes all this with the help of strong acids; even the shell and bones of turtles are not something inedible. Of course, small prey is not a reason to use powerful rings of muscles, but eating large prey (and the anaconda does not disdain sheep, dogs, and small deer) is not a pleasant sight.

First, it lies in wait for its prey for a long time, hiding among the coastal thickets, then there is a sharp jerk and immediately rings are wound around the poor fellow, which compress the victim’s body with extraordinary force.

The anaconda does not break or crush bones, as other boas do; it compresses the prey so that oxygen cannot enter the lungs and the prey dies from suffocation. This snake has no fangs, so it does not tear or chew its food.

Starting from the head, the anaconda begins to swallow the victim. Its seemingly small mouth stretches to the size necessary for the passage of the carcass. At the same time, the pharynx also stretches. Available photo of anaconda, which shows how a snake swallows a small deer.

Although, according to experts, there is only a single case of an anaconda attacking a person, this snake has firmly established itself in the section of dangerous animals. By the way, anacondas are not averse to eating their fellow tribesmen. So, at the zoo, a 2.5 meter python was on her menu.

When swallowing a victim, the anaconda is most vulnerable. This is understandable - all her strength goes into pushing food inside, her head is busy, and she can escape with large piece it won’t work in the mouth with lightning speed. But after eating, the snake is “good-natured.” This is easy to explain - she needs time to calmly digest food.

Reproduction and lifespan

Scientists have not precisely established the lifespan in the wild, but in captivity the anaconda does not live long, only 5-6 years. However, this indicator is also untrue, because there was a snake that lived in captivity for 28 years. The Anaconda is not the right size snake to live in a pack. Like others large predators, she lives and hunts alone.

However, in the spring (April - May), when the rainy season begins in the Amazon, these snakes gather in groups - mating time begins for anacondas. To ensure that the “groom” does not wander for too long in search, the “bride” leaves a trail on the ground, which during this period is generously flavored with an odorous substance - pheromone.

Following such a trail, the female is found not by one, but by several males at once. However, it is not customary for male anacondas to engage in fights for a beauty. Here, too, the strongest will become the father of the offspring, but wise snakes choose the most worthy differently.

All males who have found the female by smell wrap themselves around her body and begin love games, which last up to one and a half months. All this time, males cannot eat, hunt, or rest - courtship takes away all their time and strength. But after mating, the ball disintegrates by itself, and the “lovers” scatter in different directions.

The males go about their business, and the female begins a difficult period of gestation. Pregnancy lasts 6-7 months. All this time the female does not hunt or feed, because she is especially vulnerable during feeding. Therefore, the anaconda loses a lot of weight; for it, this condition is stressful.

But the offspring are still born safely. From 30 to 42 baby snakes are born, all of them are live born. Although, the anaconda is also capable of laying eggs. The cubs are born only a little more than half a meter long, but must already worry about their own food.

After giving birth, the mother, who was in a hungry state for six months, goes hunting. Of course, anaconda mothers are far from the most tender; she does not feed them, does not protect them from predators, and does not provide them with a nest. Little snakes are already endowed with all the survival skills from birth. They are excellent swimmers, can skillfully camouflage themselves, and move deftly at the slightest danger.

And they have many dangers. In the animal world, everything is arranged naturally, if an adult anaconda has practically no enemies and eats caimans and small ones with impunity wild cats, then these same cats now hunt anaconda cubs.

Therefore, from the entire brood, only the most dexterous, fastest and strongest baby snakes remain alive, who turn into the strongest snakes on earth, the real enemy of which is only man.

Anaconda is the largest reptile that lives on the planet. These huge snakes call 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. Huge ancient fossils on display in museums are comparable in size 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. Deadly dangerous predator With powerful muscles, a forked tongue for tracking down prey, and strong, curved teeth for capturing food, it 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 in the Orinoco Basin provide anacondas with the opportunity to catch even large 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 more 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 treat– 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 has the punching power of a heavyweight boxer, group the most powerful muscles, which 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– a rarity.

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. Female absorbs a large number 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 this distinctive feature Since the duration of ingestion is more than 5 hours, there is plenty of time for the snake to be absorbed by the 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- 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 and more meters. Famous scientists facts understanding changes every year real parameters this giant. Perhaps in a few years it will be installed new record the longest snake in the world. 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.

The green giant anaconda lives in South America. The snake received this name for its size, ranging from 5 to 9 meters. The most large anaconda According to reliable sources, it was 11.43 meters in length.

The greenish tint of this snake also played a role in its name. Anacondas of all types have round and oblong spots on their bodies. The Paraguayan anaconda is famous for its brightest coloring. Her corpus luteum decorated with blue spots.

Females differ from males more large sizes and thickness. Characteristic feature These reptiles are characterized by the strong, unpleasant odor they emit in their presence.

The anaconda's diet consists of wild pigs, deer, birds, turtles, caimans and even jaguars. Wrapping itself around its prey, the snake squeezes it until it is completely suffocated, and then, with the help of its lower movable jaw, swallows the prey whole. Having “eaten” in this way, the anaconda can go without food for about a month. It should be noted that, contrary to its notoriety, the anaconda does not attack humans. On the contrary, the snake, having caught its smell, hastily retreats, since it itself is the object of hunting among the local population. It is believed that anaconda meat has high taste qualities.

The anaconda's entire life is spent near bodies of water. Here she hunts, sometimes basks in the sun on the shore or sits on the branches of a tree. Anaconda is an excellent swimmer and diver. The snake has special valves that close its nostrils, allowing it to stay in the water for a long time.

During a dry period, a snake can burrow into the muddy bottom of a reservoir and, falling into deep torpor, waits out the drought. As a rule, the female is pregnant at this time. Having safely waited out the drought, the female gives birth to about 40 cubs, which immediately after birth swim and hunt.

In the wild, an anaconda can live about 10 years.

A few more photos of the caught anaconda.

Video: Anaconda swallowed too much prey. Anaconda Snake Pukes Out A Cow In A Jungle River

Eunectes murinus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Coming from the city of Antiocha to Cartagena, when we settled it, Captain Jorge Robledo and others found 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. Her average length- 5-6 meters, and specimens of 8-9 meters are often found. The reliably measured specimen, unique in size, had a length of 11.43 m (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 yellow spots smaller, surrounded by black rings. This coloration effectively hides the snake when it is hiding 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 much large anacondas eats 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's lifestyle is extremely similar to 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 notaeus

• 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), renowned expert 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 can defeat almost any animal in the jungle. Too much growth will be energetically unjustified - in the conditions of a humid tropical forest, which is relatively poor in large animals, it is excessively big snake It simply won’t 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.”

Nothing like this modern science, including taking into account the extensive experience of keeping anacondas in zoos, does not recognize it. 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 [ When?], the case of 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 ones). - 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., Borkin L. Ya., Darevsky I. S., Orlov N. L. Five-language dictionary of animal names. Amphibians and reptiles. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / under general edition acad. V. E. Sokolova. - M.: Rus. lang., 1988. - P. 275. - 10,500 copies. - ISBN 5-200-00232-X
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.: Forestry 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 - ISBN 978-5-904012-09-0
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. - ISBN 5-06-001429-0