Signs and superstitions 

This snake is called a water boa. Characteristics, description and lifestyle of the anaconda. Movement speed and strength

Anaconda is a snake from a separate kind anacondas, subfamily of boas, order Squamate, class reptiles.

Along with the python and the boa constrictor, the anaconda is one of the largest snakes in the world, measuring 5 to 6 meters in length and weighing about 100 kg. The largest currently known is about 9 meters long and weighs 130 kg.

The civilized world relatively recently learned about the existence of the anaconda - this viviparous snake that lives in the jungle South America.

Lifestyle and habitat

The anaconda lives in the remote, inaccessible jungles of the tropical part of South America in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, northeastern Peru, Ecuador and northern Bolivia, eastern Paraguay and Guyana, in French Guiana and on the island of Trinidad, and it was possible to study it quite recently. People learned basic information about this large snake only in 1992, when biologist Jesus Rivas and a group of scientists studied the anaconda in its habitat, near Venezuela.

The anaconda's body is designed in such a way that, with a body thickness of 14-15 cm, it swallows quite big catch, and then her body stretches to the size of the animal she swallowed. The coloring of these snakes is varied and depends on the species. There are grayish-green ones, there are yellow ones, light brown ones and almost dark ones. The skin is scaly with rounded darker spots arranged in a checkerboard pattern. This coloring helps the anaconda to camouflage itself well among coastal plants and algae.

The anaconda is ideally adapted to life in water. Her long, powerful body, consisting only of muscles, writhing in the water like a powerful propeller, gives her the ability to swim quickly both on the surface of the water and in the depths. Moreover, when it swims, its eyes and nostrils remain on the surface like those of crocodiles, and when immersed in water, the nostrils are closed with special valves. Her eyes, covered with a transparent protective film, remain open under water, and she sees everything even in muddy water. The ability to slow down the heartbeat, while consuming less oxygen, allows her to stay under water for a long time.

The anaconda is a carnivorous predator and feeds only on animal food. Eats everything it comes across. These include wild animals: tapirs, peccaries, turtles, small crocodiles and waterfowl. It often attacks domestic animals coming to a watering hole: sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, geese, ducks and even dogs. It can hunt both in water and on land. In the water, the anaconda usually lies hidden, waits for the victim, and when it is close, it rushes at it. In other cases, having good hearing, an anaconda, while under water, can hear the sounds of animals coming to drink a hundred meters away, quietly swim up, and then rush at an unsuspecting animal with a lightning-fast throw. While on land, these cunning snakes can hide on the path leading to a watering hole, or position themselves on thick, low-lying tree branches and, when the animal approaches, rush at them.

The anaconda has no fangs or chewing teeth; it doesn’t need them. But a continuous row of teeth located almost at the same level works like a powerful vice. Once in such a vice, not a single creature will be able to escape. Holding its prey, the anaconda wraps its body in multiple rings and strangles it until the victim stops breathing. After this, the anaconda swallows the prey whole, wearing it like a stocking on a leg, stretching its mouth and throat. After this, the loaded anaconda looks for a secluded place and lies down for several days digesting food. One such serving of anaconda is enough for several weeks. After which she goes hunting again. These snakes do not take into account kinship; they can devour each other.

When the anaconda is well-fed, it loves to bask in the sun, exposing its round sides to it. By this, it kind of warms up the blood, because like all reptiles it is a cold-blooded creature. But it does not crawl far from the reservoir and soon plunges into the water. If a lake suddenly dries up during the dry season, she tries to find new reservoir or burrows into the mud and bottom silt, passing into a suspended state, in which it remains until the first rains.

The anaconda leads an isolated, solitary lifestyle, but during the mating season these snakes gather in groups to mate. Females are larger in size than males. Anaconda gives birth to live baby snakes. 7-8 months after the mating events, the female gives birth to up to forty or more small anacondas 50-80 cm long. Immediately after birth, the cubs are able to swim and get their own food. However, they often become prey for many animals and birds and quite a few survive.

Rarely does anyone decide to attack an adult anaconda, so the anaconda has practically no enemies among animals in nature. Who wants to fight with this big snake, which also has incredible strength? After all, the weight of a nine-meter anaconda can reach up to 200 kg! A snake of this size can easily handle a small cow. What can we say about a pig or a dog!

Having such an impressive size, the anaconda is able to move silently and remain unnoticed. In the places where it lives, residents of these areas show caution and attentiveness, believing that the anaconda can attack and kill. Cases of attack are very rare and fall into the exceptional category. As observations show, the anaconda, like all other snakes, sensing the approach of a person, hurries to move away in the other direction. The stories of some eyewitnesses about meeting them with anacondas with a body length of 12 meters or more can be considered an exaggeration. There are also fabulous stories about the hypnotic abilities of the anaconda, which supposedly hypnotizes its victim with its gaze.

The anaconda is still considered a little studied reptile. In many countries, for the purpose of study, they are kept in serpentariums, where they are under constant supervision. There are several cases of anacondas breeding in captivity. The lifespan of anacondas in natural conditions has not been established, but in terrariums they live up to 20 years.

Types of anaconda

There are currently four known species: Green, Yellow, Dark and Bolivian. They all lead a generally similar lifestyle, the differences being mainly in their size, color and habitat.

Green or giant anaconda, lat. Eunectes murinus. It is the largest of all. Its length can be more than 9 meters. It is especially common in the Amazon basin in Brazil, and in the vicinity of the Orinoco River in Colombia. Often found in the Llanos grasslands in Venezuela, Ecuador and Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia, Guiana and Peru. Green anacondas have been seen occasionally in Florida. The color of this anaconda is green-olive on the back, yellowish on the belly. There are dark, sometimes almost black spots on the back and sides. The scales of the skin are large in front, decreasing towards the tail.

Paraguayan or yellow anaconda, lat. Eunectes notaeus. Second in size after green. There are individuals reaching a length of 4.5 meters. They live in Paraguay, Northern Argentina, and are found in Bolivia. The yellow anaconda usually chooses places with high humidity: small lakes, swamps, overgrown banks of small rivers and streams. Often found in seasonally flooded areas. It feeds on fish, turtles, lizards, small caimans, and waterfowl. Sometimes he steals bird eggs. Paraguayan anaconda snake is a solitary snake. A pair is formed only in April - May. It is the object of intensive hunting because of its beautiful skin, which is used for haberdashery, as well as its meat, which is considered a delicacy.

Dark anaconda or Deschauensei's Anaconda, lat. Eunectes deschauenseei. It lives in the northern regions of Brazil, on the coast of French Guiana, and is found in Guyana. Relatively small in size compared to others. Usually its length is slightly less than 2 meters, but some individuals up to 4 meters or more have been encountered. It prefers to settle in hard-to-reach places, so it has been little studied.

Lat. Eunectes beniensis or Beni's anaconda is a medium-sized boa constrictor, usually about 4 meters in length. Lives in tropical forests in the Beni River valley in Bolivia. Anaconda Beni rare species, not common in other regions of South America, so it became known only in 2002. Scientists have not yet decided whether to consider it a separate species or classify it as a Paraguayan anaconda.

Anaconda, like all boas, is still mysterious creatures, which people have a negative attitude towards and consider it one of the most dangerous and unpredictable predators. Even the origin of its name is still controversial. It is believed that the name “anaconda” appeared in South America from the Tamil phrase “copra” - which means killer, and “yanei” - elephant. In other versions, this word is translated as lightning barrel and others. All these names came from the homeland of these snakes. The most big anaconda in the world, whose length is 11.43 m, caught in the wetlands of Colombia. On at the moment In the New York Zoological Society there lives a green anaconda about 9 meters in length and weighing 130 kg.

Difference from boas and pythons

Despite the general external resemblance, the anaconda differs from other types of boas and from pythons. All these snakes belong to the order Scaly, but the boa constrictor is a member of the pseudopod family, and the python is from the python family. All of them are non-poisonous and use one method of absorption of food, swallowing prey whole. Boa constrictors live primarily in Europe and Asia, although they are found in Madagascar, the Fiji Islands and New Guinea. There are about 60 species of them. This is what an emerald boa constrictor looks like.

Water boas live only in South America; these are all four types of anacondas listed above: green, Bolivian, Paraguayan and dark.

Pythons live in Asian countries, India, China and Indochina, Australia, Indonesia and the Philippine Islands. There are about 22 species in total. The largest of them is the reticulated python. The largest currently known in the Japanese Zoological Garden, its length is 12.2 m and its weight is more than 200 kg.

A significant difference between pythons and boas is reproduction. Boas give birth to live young, while pythons lay eggs, which then hatch into young. Both boas and pythons, like most reptiles, are slow creatures in normal conditions, but during a hunt they rush at the prey almost with lightning speed. They have developed night vision and a good sense of smell. In addition, they have the property of thermolocation, thanks to which they detect living creature in the dark.

IN recent years There are quite a lot of lovers of exotic animals that they keep at home. These also include pythons, boas and anacondas, which are kept in special terrariums. Although it is not uncommon for these huge snakes to break free and cause a lot of trouble. In some Asian countries such as India, Thailand, Cambodia, local residents taming these huge snakes. They keep them in basements and provide them with food. Getting used to their owners and taking root in the house, these snakes protect the home from poisonous snakes, scorpions, phalanges, rats and other wild animals. A house that has its own python usually costs significantly more. Be that as it may, despite their negative characteristics and the generally negative attitude of people towards them, we have to admit that anacondas, as equals, occupy a certain place among other representatives of the earth's flora.

Swiss diver Franco Banfi went to the Brazilian region of Mato Grasso to specifically photograph the famous anaconda, the largest snake in the world, in nature.


And he managed to take amazing photos of the anaconda right in her natural environment habitat, under water. Franco found a magnificent snake eight meters long and posing no threat to him, since this specimen had recently dined on a capybara.

Throughout the photo shoot, the anaconda only lazily glanced sideways at the 53-year-old diver and, according to the latter, he could easily have touched it with his hand, but still did not do so.

At the first moment it becomes scary, but then you get used to it and begin to truly respect this animal,” says Franco Banfi, “I have never been so close to an anaconda, but for me this one is big Not poisonous snake much safer than a small and poisonous creature.

Anaconda is the largest modern snake. Its average length is 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 coloring effectively camouflages the snake when it lurks in calm water covered with brown leaves and tufts of algae. Females are much larger and stronger than males.

Anaconda inhabits all tropical part South America east of the Andes: Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, eastern Paraguay, northern Bolivia, northeastern Peru, Guyana, French Guiana, and the island of Trinidad. Due to the inaccessibility of the anaconda's habitats, it is difficult for scientists to estimate its numbers and monitor population dynamics. 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.

The anaconda feeds on various mammals, lying in wait for them near the water. It catches tapirs, peccaries, agoutis, capybaras, etc. Cases have been described more than once when an anaconda even devoured a jaguar (obviously, only the largest anacondas can defeat this predator). The anaconda often eats waterfowl, small caimans, turtles, and snakes - at least in the zoo, an anaconda once strangled and ate a 2.5-meter python.

For many of us, the word “anaconda” scares us. By it we mean something crawling, scary, with creepy green eyes. This boa constrictor is so huge that it can easily swallow not only an animal, but also a person. Since childhood we have heard that the most big snake - This anaconda. An aquatic, non-venomous reptile from the boa constrictor family. However, many of the scary stories about her are exaggerated.

Anaconda snake really very large. Its length sometimes reaches 8.5 meters, but five-meter individuals are more common. However, the legend about 12-meter and longer snakes is most likely a hoax. Such an individual can rather be called a rare unique specimen. It would be difficult for such a large and heavy reptile not only to move in nature, but also to hunt. She would have starved to death.

This boa constrictor does not attack humans. Moreover, he tries to avoid meeting people. The famous English naturalist, zoologist and writer, Gerald Malcolm Durrell described his meeting with this reptile. He saw her in dense thickets on the banks of the Amazon. It was a fairly large individual, approximately 6 meters in length.

The writer was extremely frightened, instinct forced him to loudly call for help to the accompanying aborigine. However, the snake behaved strangely. At first he really accepted threatening pose, tensed, as if preparing to jump.

He began to hiss menacingly, but did not attack. After a while his hissing became less menacing and more fearful. And when the escort came running, they barely had time to see the tail quickly retreating into the thicket. The boa constrictor ran away, not wanting to come into conflict with the man.

Nevertheless, anaconda in the photo often presented in an eccentric and scary way. Then she attacks wild pig, absorbing it entirely, then wraps itself around a whole bull or fights with a crocodile. However, the Indians still tell stories of water green boas attacking people.

True, they always start out the same. The aborigine hunts birds or fishes on the river. He comes across a rather large individual and is forced to enter the river to pull it ashore. This is where the monster appears, who is in a hurry to take away the result of the hunt from him. It then engages in a fight with the hunter for the prey. The snake sees a person as a rival rather than a victim. Only blinded by rage can she fight people.

But people, on the contrary, can hunt these beautiful animals. The skin of a boa constrictor is so good that it is an attractive trophy. Very expensive products are made from it: boots, suitcases, shoes, horse blankets, clothes. Even anaconda meat and fat are used for food, explaining this with extreme benefits. They say that some tribes consider this food to be a source of immunity support.

Description and features

The giant reptile is very beautiful. It has shiny, thick scales and a large, ridged body. It is called the "green boa". The color is olive, sometimes lighter, but may have a yellowish tint. It can be greenish-brown or marsh color.

There are dark spots across the entire surface of her body in two wide stripes. On the sides there is a stripe of smaller spots surrounded by black rims. This coloring is an excellent camouflage; it hides the hunter in the water, making her look like vegetation.

The anaconda's belly is much lighter. The head is large and has nostrils. The eyes are directed slightly upward to see above the water while swimming in the river. The female is always larger than the male. Its teeth are not large, but it can bite very painfully, as it has developed jaw muscles. Saliva is not poisonous, but can contain dangerous bacteria and cadaveric poisons.

The bones of the skull are very mobile, connected by strong ligaments. This allows it to stretch its mouth wide, swallowing prey whole. The weight of a five-meter reptile is approximately 90-95 kg.

Anaconda– an excellent swimmer and diver. She stays under water for a long time due to the fact that her nostrils are equipped with special valves and close if necessary. The eyes look calmly under water, as they are equipped with transparent safety scales. Her organ of smell and taste is her mobile tongue.

Note that the length of the anaconda is noticeably shorter than the length of the reticulated python, another gigantic snake. But it is more massive in weight. Any anaconda is almost twice as heavy and stronger than its relative. One ring of her “deadly embrace” is equivalent in strength to several coils of a boa constrictor.

Thus, the myth that this snake is the largest in the world is unfounded. However, it is the heaviest and strongest of all known. In terms of weight per body volume, the boa constrictor is second only to Komodo dragon. Maybe this is what makes him live and hunt in water, such weight requires support water element.

Most often, storytellers, when describing the enormous size of this waterfowl, try to exaggerate their merits in capturing it. The biggest anaconda snake was spotted in 1944 in Colombia.

Its length according to stories was 11.5 meters. But there are no photographs of this amazing creature. It's hard to imagine how much it could weigh. The largest snake was captured in Venezuela. Its length was 5.2 meters and it weighed 97.5 kg.

Species

World of Anaconda Snakes presented in 4 types:

  • Gigantic. This is the largest snake of its kind. It was she who gave rise to the spread of legends about the size of reptiles. Its length can reach up to 8 m, but more often up to 5-7 m. It inhabits all water areas of South America, to the east mountain Andes. Lives in Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, eastern Paraguay. It can be found in northern Bolivia, northeastern Peru, French Guiana, Guyana and the island of Trinidad.

  • Paraguayan. Inhabits Bolivia, Uruguay, western Brazil and Argentina. Its length reaches 4 meters. The coloring is more yellow than that of the giant anaconda, although there are green and gray representatives of the species.

  • Anaconda de Chauenseya (Deschauensea) lives in the north-west of Brazil, its length is shorter than that of the previous two. An adult reaches 2 meters.

  • And there is a fourth subspecies, which is not yet very clearly defined. It is under study, Eunectes beniensis, discovered in 2002, similar to the Paraguayan anaconda, but found only in Bolivia. Perhaps it will eventually be identified with the above reptile, despite its habitat.

Lifestyle and habitat

These huge boas live near water and lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Most often inhabit rivers with stagnant or slow flowing water. Such overgrown ponds, creeks or oxbow lakes are usually rich in flora and fauna. It's easy to hide there, masquerading as flora.

They spend most of their time in the river, occasionally coming to the surface. They crawl out to warm themselves sunny place, can climb onto tree limbs near the water. This is where they live, hunt and mate.

Their main habitats are river basins. The Amazon is the main body of water in their life. The boa constrictor lives wherever it flows. He inhabits water arteries Orinoco, Paraguay, Parana, Rio Negro. Also lives on the island of Trinidad.

If reservoirs dry up, it moves to another place or falls down the river. During drought, which affects some of the snake’s habitats in the summer, it can hide from the heat in the mud at the bottom and hibernate there. This is a kind of stupor state in which she is before the rains begin. It helps her survive.

Some people put the anaconda in a terrarium, since it is very impressive in appearance. The reptile is unpretentious and indiscriminate in its food, which makes it easier to live in zoos. Adults are calm and lazy. Young people are more mobile and aggressive. They breed well in captivity.

She also sheds in water. Watching a reptile in a terrarium, you can see how it, immersed in a container, rubs against the bottom of the pool, gradually freeing itself from old skin, like from a tired stocking.

Anaconda is very tenacious. Hunting for it usually takes place in the form of fishing with nooses, which are installed near the animal’s habitat. Having caught a snake, the noose is tightly tightened, almost preventing the caught reptile from breathing. However, she never suffocates. She again gets out of the situation, falling into a saving stupor.

It is said that captured anacondas, which seemed lifeless for several hours, then suddenly came to life. And it was completely worthwhile to take the precaution of carefully tying the snake. She came to life abruptly, and could cause injury to others.

Moreover, if you do not have time to locate the animal at the place of delivery, in a more spacious room, it will twitch in attempts to free itself, and may succeed in this. There were cases when the snake managed to free itself from the ropes. Then she had to be killed.

There is another example of the amazing vitality of a reptile. They say that an anaconda fell ill in one of the European mobile zoos. She stopped moving and eating. She looked dead. The watchman, seeing such a situation, decided to get rid of the snake’s body, fearing that he would be considered the culprit of its death.

He threw it into the river. And in the cage he opened the bars, lying that the snake squeezed through and ran away. The owner began to look for the anaconda, but to no avail. The zoo has moved to another location. They continued to look for the snake. Finally everyone decided that she had died or frozen to death.

This was the north of Germany. But the reptile survived, recovered, and for a long time lived in the river into which the watchman threw her. She floated on the surface on warm nights, frightening eyewitnesses. Winter has come. The animal disappeared again, again everyone decided that it had died.

However, in the spring the reptile appeared in this river again, to the horror and surprise of the residents. This went on for several years. This amazing case proves that anacondas are very tenacious in the wild, while in captivity you have to constantly take care of their habitat. Warm them up in the cold, change the water, etc.

Nutrition

These eat amazing creatures fish, amphibians, small iguanas, turtles and even other snakes. They catch birds, parrots, herons, ducks, aquatic mammals, such as the capybara and otter. It can attack a young tapir, deer, peccary, or agouti that comes to drink. She grabs them by the river and drags them deep into the depths. Doesn't crush bones like others large snakes, but simply does not allow the victim to breathe.

Having strangled the prey with powerful embraces, it swallows it whole. At this moment, her throat and jaw stretch quite significantly. And then the boa constrictor lies at the bottom for a long time, digesting food. The strange thing is that, living in the water element, he prefers to eat the inhabitants earth's surface.

When free, the snake feeds only on fresh prey. And in captivity it can be trained to eat carrion. Cases of cannibalism have been observed in these reptiles. Cruelty and the desire to survive are their main principles when hunting. Natural enemies There are no adult anacondas, except for humans, of course. He hunts them for their beautiful and thick skin.

And young anacondas may have enemies in the form of crocodiles and caimans, with whom it competes on the territory. May be attacked by jaguars, pumas. A wounded snake can go to piranhas.

Among Amazonian tribes there are legends about tamed predators. They say that a reptile caught from a young age can live next to a person. Then she helps him, protecting the home from small predators, and the utility rooms - warehouses and barns - from rats and mice.

For the same purpose, they were sometimes launched into the hold of a ship. Quite quickly the animal helped free the ship from uninvited guests. Previously, such reptiles were transported in boxes with holes, since they could go without food for a long time, up to several months.

Reproduction and lifespan

About anaconda snakes we can say that they are polygamous. They spend most of their time alone. But, when the breeding season arrives, they begin to accumulate in groups. The female is able to mate with several males at the same time.

The mating season is in April-May. And at this time the snakes are especially hungry. If they can go without eating for a long time, but during the mating season, hunger is unbearable for them. Reptiles urgently need to eat and find a partner. Only well-fed female anacondas successfully give birth to offspring.

Males They find the female by the odorous trail she leaves on the ground. She releases pheromones. There is an assumption that the snake also releases odorous substances into the air, but this theory has not been studied. IN mating games All males who managed to receive a “fragrant invitation” from her take part.

During the mating period, observing them is especially dangerous. Males are very excited and can attack anyone in a rage. Participants in the ritual gather into balls and intertwine. They wrap themselves around each other tenderly and tightly, using the vestige of a leg. They have such a process on their body, a false leg. The whole process is accompanied by grinding and other sharp sounds.

It is unknown who ultimately fathers the offspring. More often it becomes snake anaconda, who turned out to be the brightest and most affectionate. Several males may compete to mate with a female. In any case, after mating, all participants scatter in different directions.

The female bears the offspring for about 6-7 months. She doesn't eat at this time. To survive, she needs to find a secluded rookery. Everything is complicated by the fact that gestation occurs during a drought. The snake crawls from one place to another in search of the most humid corner.

Left under the scorching sun, she will inevitably die. The reptile loses a lot of weight at this time, almost twice. She gives all her strength to future babies. Finally, after almost seven months of gestation, the female, who survived such trials as drought and hunger strike, reveals her precious offspring to the world.

These animals are ovoviviparous. Usually a snake gives birth to from 28 to 42 cubs, sometimes up to 100. But sometimes it lays eggs. Each of the born cubs is about 70 cm in length. Only after producing offspring can the anaconda finally eat its fill.

Immediately after birth, babies are left to their own devices. Mom doesn't care about them. They study themselves the world around us. The ability to go for long periods without food helps them survive.

At this time, they can become easy prey for others and die in the paws of birds, in the mouths of animals and other reptiles. But only until they grow up. And then they look for their own prey on their own. In nature, the reptile lives 5-7 years. And in a terrarium its lifespan is much longer, up to 28 years.

We are afraid of these beauties, and they seem to be afraid of us. However, any type of animal living on earth is very important for the planet as a whole. This formidable reptile has direct responsibilities.

She, like any predator, kills sick and wounded animals, which cleanses natural world. And if we forget about our fear of anacondas and just watch them in the terrarium, we will see how graceful, beautiful and attractive they are.

There are snakes like snakes, and then there are giant anacondas. A living nightmare living in the mysterious jungles of South America, the queen of predators, patiently waiting for someone to make the last mistake in their life and come closer to her.

What does a giant anaconda look like?

The first step is to figure out how big a giant or green anaconda is. The answer will depend on who you ask the question to. Horror fans, spitting saliva all around with excitement, will trumpet about the snake, rumored to have been caught in the Amazon basin, whose weight was 2067 kg and whose length exceeded 40 meters. Herpentologists will tell you that they recognize the largest anaconda to be a specimen caught in Suriname. That snake was only some 5.2 meters and 97.5 kg. That is, it was about as long as a car and weighed only as much as a bear. If you get to the bottom of paleontologists, they will tell you about the prehistoric snake Titanoboa, the largest that has ever lived in the world, with a weight of 1135 kg and a length of 15 meters. And what does anaconda have to do with it? Despite the fact that prehistoric animals are extinct, my friend, and if any creature on earth manages to surpass their size, then welcome to the Park Jurassic! So let's stick to the herpentologists.

On average, a giant anaconda grows to 3-4.5 meters and weighs about 45 kg. Such parameters make anacondas the heaviest snakes in the world, but not the longest. Here the palm will be taken by the reticulated python with an average length of 6 meters and a record of 7.7 meters. However, there is also a diameter! And the green anaconda has it, about three or four rolling pins folded together, that is, about 30-35 cm. So the title of the most massive snake again belongs to the anacondas.

The muscular body of the reptile is olive green, with oval brown or black spots on the back and ocher-yellow spots with a black border on the sides. The anaconda's head is narrow, with eyes and nostrils on the top of the head - a trick tested on crocodiles, which also hide their entire body under water and expose only their blinkers and blowholes. From the eyes to the jaws there are characteristic black stripes, like the war paint of the Indians.

Scientific name of the species

In Latin, the genus of Anacondas is called Eunectes (this is if you ever need to show off your intellect powerfully), which translated means “good swimmer.” Water is truly their element. On land they are only silent, but in the water they are still swift and graceful. Gravity, what! The speed of a swimming anaconda is about 30 km/h, which is three times the maximum swimming speed available to a person.


For the name of the species - murinus - the anacondas clearly paid a bribe to some scientist, since it means “mouse eaters”. Well, technically, they can eat mice too, but they need a bunch of mice like a bag of seeds for a person.

What and how do anacondas eat?

Anacondas are at the top of the food chain. And there are enough links in this chain, so the menu giant snake appear:

  • rodents;
  • lizards;
  • birds;
  • amphibians;
  • various mammals.

An adult anaconda may want to taste a caiman or suddenly encroach on a jaguar. Such variety in the diet can be costly for the snake, since it will eat them, but at the same time it will also get hit with a narrow muzzle and a thick body. And as a result, it can quickly slide down food chain, since an anaconda dying from injuries, as well as a dead snake, is no longer a thunderstorm of the jungle, but a whole feast on the mountain for all carnivores and the disdainful.


Now about the process itself. Anacondas are not poisonous, but that doesn't make it any easier for anyone. They have teeth - as many as six rows. Two on the lower jaw and two parallel rows on the upper. They are needed not for chewing, but for holding the victim, who is somehow selfishly not ready to stand and wait for them to wrap around her. Anaconda victims do not die from suffocation. The snake simply gradually squeezes the blood flow and hello, cerebral ischemia. Often it doesn’t even come to this, since if an anaconda catches prey at a watering hole, it will simply drag it under the water and then death from drowning is more likely.


In principle, the anaconda does not need someone to die at all; it is quite enough for him to stop twitching. After this, you can begin the swallowing process, which is always carried out from the head, so that the limbs and tails do not spread out. Anacondas have elastic jaws, that is, elastic ligaments, while there are two lower jaws, and they can move independently of each other. After the carcass is pushed into the throat, the muscles begin to work, contracting so as to finally deliver the food to the stomach.

Do anacondas eat people?

And this is one of the most interesting questions! Potentially, a snake is capable of swallowing a person, especially a small one. But every person is potentially capable of much. The fact that you, for example, can eat worms, does not mean that they are part of your diet, even not on a daily basis.

However, there are hundreds of stories about killer anacondas - what to do with them? Exhale and boldly face the facts. There is not a single documented case of a giant anaconda attacking a person. These snakes, of course, have their own sources of distinguishing prey, such as thermal perception and a vasomotor organ, which provides additional nuances of aromas, but it is unlikely that they are able to determine by smell that they are facing a group of scientists and abandon sabotage.


In 2014, the Discovery Channel conducted an experiment for its film Eaten Alive. They dressed naturalist Paul Rosolie in special suit, able to withstand the teeth of a snake and the force of its compression, was smeared with the blood of a pig and slipped under the nose of a giant anaconda. The snake went nuts and tried to urgently hide in the jungle. They caught her and started poking her in the mug with the naturalist. Anaconda tried to screw up again. It is unknown how many times this scene was repeated, but in the end, the snake realized that you couldn’t just get away from these crazy people and, to the jubilation of the entire film crew, it finally attacked and began to squeeze Paul. But somehow without a spark and to “get rid of it.”

It is not known what the television crew were going to do from the moment when the snake finally swallowed the bait, maybe dragging Paul back by the rope, but it didn’t come to that. Since the suit prevented pressure, the scene took longer. The extreme massage turned on the naturalist’s brain and it dawned on him that until he lost consciousness, no one would eat him. And he won’t lose consciousness until the suit cracks. But when it cracks... In short, Paul yelled that the snake was going to break his arm and he didn’t sign up for this, his comrades rushed to the rescue, freed him from the terrible anaconda and it finally joyfully combed away, vowing to stay away from these two-legged creatures cretins as far away as possible.

After the film was broadcast, the channel was flooded with letters. People were very sympathetic to the anaconda and promised to crush the film crew themselves next time if they really wanted to.

Secrets of reproduction

On the entire long body of the anaconda, protected by scales, there is only one vulnerable spot - the cloaca. It is from her to mating season The female begins to ooze secretions thickly saturated with pheromones. Leaving behind her a fragrant path that says “Vasya, I am yours forever,” the lady lies down by the water and waits. “Vasya” is usually drawn in up to 12 pieces. They all wrap themselves around the object of their desire and try to enter into a relationship with the lady. This collective fidgeting can last up to a month, until the lady finally decides that she has chosen a partner and opens her “gate” to him. After the fertilization process has passed, the male will leave a special wax “plug” in the cloaca.


Here, in general, it would be good for everyone to leave, but this is not always possible. The female will have to carry the eggs for seven months until the babies hatch from them, right inside. And caring mothers do not hunt all this time, so as not to harm their offspring. Make do long term Without food is not a problem for cold-blooded snakes, but before it starts, why not have one last snack? Moreover, you don’t even need to strain. While the males are moving away from the love fog, you can choose one that is not the longest and gobble it up, muttering, “Yam!”

Baby snakes are born quite independent. “I gave birth to you, and then it’s up to you,” says the woman in labor and runs off into the sunset. Considering that there are from 20 to 40 individuals in one litter, it would have been impossible to walk through the jungle for a long time without crushing the tail of an anaconda, if not for this disregard for the offspring. A small anaconda, only half a meter long and weighing half a kilo, although it can swim and hunt from birth, for the time being it cannot compete with most predators. However, children grow rapidly and after four years they reach adult size.

Where are giant anacondas found?


Anacondas love to lounge in the water, waiting for suitable prey. If they have a choice, snakes will prefer calm waters, with trees growing along the edge, so that they can sometimes get out to bask in the sun or hang out in the shade on a tree for air. In this sense, the Brazilian Amazon is ideal for them, but they are not limited to this territory. The giant anaconda can be found throughout South America east of the Andes all the way to northern Paraguay.

Attention, TODAY only!

Almost 10 meters long and weighing three centners. All this is the largest anaconda snake. Photos and videos on our website will show you that, for the most part, fear has big eyes. This snake is not such a monster.

Anaconda - the largest snake in the world Anaconda (Eunectes) is the heaviest snake in the world, and a “good swimmer”.

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.


9 meters long, 250 kilograms. Meet the anaconda. The world's largest snake.

Fiction and reality

Thanks to Hollywood and Jennifer Lopez. Today famous movie Only very lazy people probably haven’t watched 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.

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

What does Eunectes mean?

Eunectes is translated from Greek as “good swimmer.”


Anacondas live exclusively in South America:

  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Ecuador
  • Paraguay
  • Venezuela
  • Trinidad

The amazing size of this snake

Anaconda is considered the largest snake in the whole world. Average length its body can reach 10 m. The weight of these creeping creatures is up to 250 kg. The parameters of the largest anaconda that 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. Anaconda boa constrictor most of spends its time in bodies of water, camouflaging itself in gray-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.


Looks like a pretty cute face

Anaconda is a completely non-venomous snake. Its main weapon is the ability to strangle prey by wrapping numerous rings around it. She grabs the victim with sharp teeth, twists his body around her, pulling her 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 - classification.

  • Suborder: Snakes
  • Family: pseudopods
  • Subfamily: boa constrictors
  • Type: Eunectes

The most important difference between an anaconda and a boa constrictor is that it is a viviparous snake!


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. The anaconda does not attack people because it knows that prey of this size may be too much for it to handle. 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.