Anaconda snake (lat. Eunectes murinus)

The famous giant snakes! They grow to incredible sizes. These are strong powerful creatures, deadly giants, ruthless and insatiable.

Ancient legends tell of giant snakes capable of swallowing an adult person whole. Today, thanks to the existing huge snakes, the myth is turning into reality.

The largest anaconda in the world, 11.43 m long, was caught in the wetlands of Colombia. On this moment In the New York Zoological Society there lives a representative of boa constrictors, about 9 meters in length and weighing 130 kg.

Another representative of huge reptiles is reticulated python. Its length is 12.2 m, and its weight is 2 quintals. He now lives in the Japanese Zoological Garden.

Among the poisonous snakes, the largest is considered King Cobra, reaching up to 5.5 m in length. Its habitat is India, Indochina and South China. A cobra's bite is so poisonous that a person's death occurs within a few minutes.

Anaconda is a super predator!

Anaconda South America- the largest snake in the world of the boa constrictor family. When meeting her, a person’s blood runs cold and a paralyzing fear appears. The snake's strong, writhing body is capable of strangling anyone who stands in its way, even an adult bull. And not surprisingly, the most long snake in the world can be compared with a bus. Its weight, in some cases, reaches the mass of three adult men.

Their cunning, cunning, and size, combined with their method of movement, enhance their eerie mystical charm.

But today scientists are learning more and more about it mysterious creature.

Habitat and general characteristics of giants

Large anacondas always stay close to water, living in lakes, rivers, canals and channels that make up the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in South America, as well as on the island of Trinidad.

The Llanos Savannah in central Venezuela, with its lagoons and swamps, is an ideal habitat for anacondas. They're here large quantity than anywhere else. The climate of the area is such that there is a drought for six months, followed by a six-month period of rain.

In most species of snakes, females are larger than males, but anacondas exhibit one of the largest sex differences between females and males among land vertebrates.

A large adult female snake can reach 6 m in length and weigh over 100 kg, with a girth of 30 cm. Males, on the other hand, remain much smaller and thinner than females.

Like human fingerprints, the pattern of scales on the underside of the tail is unique to each individual. This pattern that anacondas are born with remains unchanged.

Like other snakes, anacondas are cold-blooded creatures, i.e. are ectotherms. They cannot generate their own heat, but are forced to look for it in environment. Therefore, they are constantly looking for places with required temperature at 25-27°C. They seek warmth when they need it and avoid it when it gets too hot.

Wonderful hunters without teeth and claws

Anacondas typically kill their victims by squeezing them tightly. So hard that no blood flows into the heart. The heart stops beating, blood circulation stops, and the animal dies very quickly.

As soon as the snake begins to swallow prey, it becomes very vulnerable, since its main weapon is occupied. This process can last up to 6 hours depending on the size of the production.

Before the mating season, females must build up enough fat to bear offspring, since during pregnancy they do not eat for 7 months or more.

Even a turtle, whose shell perfectly dissolves gastric juice of the strongest aggressive concentration, can become a victim. It is characteristic that after defecation there is no evidence left, all the bones are digested.

Anacondas eat a variety of animals, ranging from small birds and ending with large animals. A snake rarely loses in a fight, but the sharp teeth and claws of the prey can decide the outcome not in favor of the predator.

When snakes want to gain weight, especially before mating season, they have to feed on large prey: capybaras, caimans and deer. All these animals know how to stand up for themselves, and sometimes inflict mortal wounds on the snake. When a snake has lunch, the food itself often strives to take a bite for itself.

Unlike other predators, giant snake swallows food whole. But to compensate for the lack of limbs, the anaconda, like most snakes, became a predator with unique ability to adaptation. The sides of the jaws are not connected in one place, which allows them to swallow any prey.

Despite the lack of weapons such as claws, snakes are skilled hunters. They use a number of complex techniques to survive in a hostile environment. The completely harmless appearance of a forked tongue inspires fear in most people. And some are even convinced that a snake can bite with its tongue. But this highly sensitive organ is vital for any snake to navigate its world.

With each protrusion of its tongue, the snake scans its surroundings. Both on land and under water, a chemical analysis of particles is carried out using the tongue, entering the brain through two holes in the palate leading to the so-called Jacobson's organ. This is why snakes have forked tongues.

The absence of eyelids on the eyes also makes snakes mysterious. But what exactly they see and how they do it still remains a mystery to scientists. It's no surprise that snakes, especially anacondas, are surrounded by myths and legends. There has always been something curious and unknown about them, but thanks to new technologies, science is gradually revealing some of their secrets.

Reproduction

Anacondas mate before a period of drought, when the humidity is not as high as during the rainy season. The male wraps himself around the female in such a way that it looks like spiral spaghetti. Moreover, the expression “group sex” very accurately characterizes the mating of anacondas, since many males are wrapped around the female at the same time.

They scrape against her skin with femoral spurs, a primitive appendage inherited from the ancestors of lizards. This is the courtship phase, which lasts up to 6 weeks, when males try to figure out who can stay near the female. During all this time, snakes spend a huge amount of energy. They do not eat, do not hunt, only court and mate. This is an amazing ritual!

Despite the inequality, no conflicts arise between males. It's a battle of perseverance and patience.

When fertilization has occurred, the ball disintegrates. The males and females each go in their own direction.

New life

In seven months, the anaconda will give birth to 20 to 60 live babies.

The mother does not feed during pregnancy because she is vulnerable to predators. Therefore, the pregnancy months are stressful for the snake. By the time labor begins, the mother will simply “die” of hunger.

Newborns reach up to 60 cm in length and from the very first breath they have to fend for themselves. Females do not nurse their young.

Cubs are born with the ability to swim and all the skills necessary for survival. But they still have a chance to die. While adult anacondas are practically not hunted by predators, newborns are extremely vulnerable to any threat: from caimans and birds to wild ocelot cats and jaguars.

By reaching maturity, after 8 years, the anaconda weighs 500 times more than at birth. Such growth rates significantly exceed the growth rates of other species of snakes.

Not many baby anacondas will survive their first year of life. Snakes don't win in competitions of numbers. The sayings “Like a snake in the grass”, “He has a tongue like a snake”, “A snake under the well” reinforce negative image snakes as dangerous and evil creatures.

Therefore, the main enemy of the anaconda is man. These mystical giants are killed for beautiful skin and for the production of medicines.

They are now recognized by scientists as an endangered species.

Belongs to the class of reptiles, order Squamate, family - boa constrictors, genus - anaconda. This is a reptile creature that has no legs. It is believed that the predecessors of snakes were primitive lizards that appeared eighty million years ago. During the period of evolution, they lost their limbs. Apparently, that’s why they are considered relatives. The main difference between snakes is the ability to move the lower jaw so that it becomes possible to swallow objects much larger than their head.

Thanks to Hollywood and Jennifer Lopez. Today, probably only very lazy people have not watched the famous film “Anaconda”. In that film, the snake is presented as a terrible man-eating monster. In fact, this is very far from reality. Like attacking a person from a treetop. Anacondas are too heavy for this kind of hunting.

There are 4 types of anacondas.

Bolivian anaconda (Eunectes beniensis) - Bolivia
Dusky anaconda (Eunectes deschauenseei) - Brazil
Green anaconda(Eunectes murinus) - Amazon and Orinoco river basins
Yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus) - Argentina and Paraguay.

Anaconda is considered the largest snake in the whole world

. The average length of its body can reach 10 m. The weight of these creeping creatures is up to 250 kg. Parameters itself big anaconda, which was caught by a person, were: 11 m 43 cm.
What kind of anaconda is she?

Its body is colored brownish-green with brownish spots. Anacondas live in the tropical forests of southern America. They are comfortable in damp riverine forests and swamps, where the most best places for a great hunt. The anaconda constrictor spends most of its time in bodies of water, camouflaging itself in the grey-green waters where brown leaves and algae float. In such places, the snake is inconspicuous and, hiding, waits for the victim going to the watering hole.

Anaconda

Anaconda is a completely non-venomous snake

. Its main weapon is the ability to strangle prey by wrapping itself in numerous rings around it. She grabs the victim with her sharp teeth, twists her body around her, pulling chest animal until it stops breathing. After this procedure, the anaconda turns the prey with its head towards itself and swallows it, “putting it on” the victim’s carcass in the form of a stocking.

Anacondas have one more feature. Thanks to the presence of nasal valves on the muzzle, it can dive under water. The snake hunts various medium-sized ungulates and also feeds on waterfowl and domestic animals that come to the watering hole.

Anaconda

Anaconda

Surely you have heard horror stories about anacondas more than once or watched terrifying footage from films. But in reality, these cases are extremely rare.

Anaconda does not attack people

, because she knows that prey of this size may be too much for her. However, there are documents in which there are documented cases of a teenager being killed by a snake. Amazon hunters, as soon as they see an anaconda, lose no opportunity to kill it.

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 knowledge 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 wildlife, and how realistic are the claims 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 for a snake - characteristic feature. 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.

Anaconda (water boa) - not big poisonous snake, belongs to the class reptiles, order squamate, suborder snakes, infraorder lower snakes, family pseudopods, subfamily, genus anaconda (lat. Eunectes).

According to etymologists, the name of the snake originates from the Sinhalese language and comes from the word “henakandaya”, meaning “ rattlesnake" Another version says that the anaconda got its name from a Tamil word that sounds similar to the word “anaconda,” which translates as “elephant killer.” In the scientific classification, the genus name sounds like Eunectes, which in Latin means “good swimmer.”

Anaconda - description and characteristics. What does an anaconda look like?

The anaconda is a very large snake, with females being much larger than males. In accordance with scientifically confirmed data, the largest female anaconda was caught in Venezuela: the length of the anaconda was 5 meters 21 centimeters including the tail, and the body weight was 97.5 kilograms. Some scientists regard rumors about the capture of anacondas 9-11 m long as false. Although Soviet books indicate a different maximum length this snake is 11.43 meters (Akimushkin I. “Animal World”, “Animal Life” edited by Zenkevich, vol. 4, part 2).

Like all reptiles, axial skeleton The anaconda is divided into a body and a tail, consisting of vertebrae, the number of which can be 435 pieces. The snake's ribs are mobile and diverge widely when swallowing large prey.

The anaconda skull is distinguished by a movable articulation of bones connected by elastic ligaments. Thanks to this feature, the snake has the ability to open its mouth very wide, swallowing large prey whole.

The nostrils and eyes of the anaconda are located high on the head, thanks to which these snakes, like crocodiles, can breathe and at the same time be completely under water, guarding potential prey. The snake's eyes are protected by transparent scales (eyelids) and are adapted to track the movement of objects rather than focus images.

Anaconda teeth are long and sharp, but do not contain poison. Therefore, an anaconda bite for a person can be very sensitive, but completely safe. The snake's tongue is an important olfactory and gustatory organ that is in constant motion.

Due to the absence of mucous glands, the anaconda's skin is dense and dry, shiny due to glossy scales. The molting of a reptile occurs according to the principle of “a stocking turned inside out” - the snake sheds a single layer at a time.

The body of the anaconda is uniformly colored grayish-green, yellowish or olive in color. There are 2 rows of large dark spots along the spine - a classic example of camouflage that perfectly hides the snake against the background of the water surface and dark aquatic vegetation.

Despite the powerful stomach acids, large food is digested for several weeks, leaving a significant reserve in the reptile’s body. nutrients and energy. Thanks to this feature, anaconda snakes are by no means voracious and for a long time can go completely without food.

Anaconda - photos, types and names.

The anaconda genus includes 4 modern looking snake:

• Giant anaconda (common anaconda, green anaconda)(lat. Eunectes murinus)- most close-up view anaconda with a body length of about 5-6 meters. The body of the snake is gray-green, the back is covered with 2 rows of large brown spots, round or oval shape, arranged in a checkerboard pattern. Along the side surface of the snake's body there is a series of small yellow round markings with a black border. The giant anaconda lives in tropical zone South America from Brazil and Paraguay to Bolivia, Peru and the island of Trinidad. The snake prefers low-flowing, muddy creeks and shallow lakes of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins.

• Paraguayan anaconda, she's the same southern or yellow anaconda(lat. Eunectes notaeus) has a length of 2 to 4 meters. Most representatives of the species have yellow color, but there are greenish and gray individuals. The body of the anaconda is decorated with a large pattern of black or brown spots of a round or oblong shape with a light center. The Paraguayan anaconda lives in still or slow-flowing waters of Paraguay, northern Argentina and southern Bolivia.

• Anaconda Eunectes beniensis- a snake that resembles appearance Paraguayan anaconda, and in this regard, there is a possibility of classifying this species as Eunectes notaeus. The length of the anaconda is 4 m, the snakes have a brownish-olive or brown color on the back and a gray-brown-yellow color on the lower part of the body. The pattern is represented by 5 longitudinal dark stripes on the head and hundreds of uniformly dark spots on the back. This species of anaconda inhabits swamps and rain forests in northeastern Bolivia and possibly in adjacent areas of Brazil.

• Anaconda Deschauensei(lat. Eunectes deschauenseei)- a rare, little-studied species, the representatives of which are distinguished by their relatively small sizes: the length of an adult anaconda is 1.3-1.9 meters. The snake lives in swampy areas in northeastern Brazil and Guiana.

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. Her average length- 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 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 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 a big increase will be energetically unjustified - in the conditions of a humid tropical forest relatively poor in large animals, it will be 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 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 general edition acad. 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.: Forestry industry, 1991. - P. 317. - 349 p. - ISBN 5-7120-018-2
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