All about the anaconda snake. Giant anaconda, where it lives, what it eats, whether the anaconda is dangerous, facts. Where are the giant anacondas found?
There are snakes like snakes, and there is a giant anaconda. A living nightmare that lives in the mysterious jungles of South America, the queen of predators, patiently waiting for someone to make the last mistake of their lives and come closer to her.
What does a giant anaconda look like?
The first step is to figure out how big the giant or green anaconda is. The answer will depend on who you ask the question to. Horror lovers, spitting saliva all around with excitement, will trumpet about a snake, according to rumors, caught in the Amazon basin, whose weight was 2067 kg, and the length exceeded 40 meters. Herpentologists will tell you that they recognize the specimen caught in Suriname as the largest anaconda. That snake was only some 5.2 meters and 97.5 kg. That is, it was about the length of a passenger car and only weighed as much as a bear. If you get to the bottom of paleontologists, they will tell you about the prehistoric Titanoboa snake, the largest ever living in the world, with a weight of 1135 kg and a length of 15 meters. And what about the anaconda? While prehistoric animals are extinct, my friend, and if any creature on earth manages to surpass their size, then welcome to Jurassic Park! So let's still stick to herpentologists.
On average, the giant anaconda grows up 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 reticulated python with an average length of 6 meters and a record of 7.7 meters will intercept the palm. However, there is also a diameter! And he is at the green anaconda about three or four rolling pins folded together for dough, that is, about 30-35 cm. So the title of the most massive snake is again with 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 head of the anaconda is narrow, with eyes and nostrils on the top of its head - a trick tested on crocodiles, which also hide their entire body under water and expose only their eyes 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 Anaconda genus is called Eunectes (this is, if you ever need to show off your intelligence powerfully), which means “good swimmer”. Water is indeed their element. On the ground, 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 obviously shoved a bribe to some scientist, since it means "mouse-eaters". Well, technically, they can eat mice too, but they have a bunch of mice like a bag of sunflower seeds to a human.
Who 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 of the giant snake includes:
- rodents;
- lizards;
- birds;
- amphibians;
- various mammals.
An adult anaconda may want to try a caiman or suddenly encroach on a jaguar. Such a variety in the diet can be costly for a snake, since it will eat them, but along the way, it will also get a narrow muzzle and a thick body. And as a result, it can rapidly move down the 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 for all carnivores and non-squeamish.
Now about the process itself. Anacondas are not poisonous, but that doesn't make anyone feel better. 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 to hold the victim, who is somehow selfishly not ready to stand and wait for them to wrap themselves around her. Anaconda victims don't die of suffocation. The snake just gradually squeezes the blood flow and hello, cerebral ischemia. Often it doesn’t even come to this, because if the anaconda caught the prey at the 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 at all for someone to die, it is quite enough for him to stop jerking. After that, it is already possible to start the process of swallowing, which is always carried out from the head so that the limbs and tails do not spread out. The jaws of the anacondas are elastic, that is, on elastic ligaments, while there are two lower jaws, and they can move independently of each other. After the carcass is pushed down the throat, the work of the muscles begins, contracting so as to finally deliver food to the stomach.
Do anacondas eat people
And this is one of the most interesting questions! Potentially, a snake is able to swallow a person, especially a small one. But each person is potentially capable of much. The fact that you, for example, can eat worms does not mean that they are included in your diet even on a non-daily basis.
However, there are hundreds of stories about killer anacondas - what to do with them? Take a deep breath and 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 that provides additional nuances of aromas, but they are unlikely to be able to determine by smell that a group of scientists is in front of them and refuse to diversion.
In 2014, the Discovery Channel conducted an experiment for its film Eaten Alive. They dressed naturalist Paul Rosoli in a special suit that could withstand the snake's teeth and the force of its constriction, smeared it with pig's blood and slipped it under the nose of a giant anaconda. The snake went nuts and tried to urgently hide in the jungle. They caught her and began to poke a naturalist in the mug. Anaconda tried to screw up again. It is not known 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 glee of the entire film crew, attacked and began to squeeze Paul. But somehow without a twinkle and "get rid".
It is not known what the TV people were going to do from the moment when the snake still swallows the bait, it can drag Paul back by the rope, but it didn’t come to that. Since the suit prevented the pressure, the scene dragged on. The naturalist's brain turned on from extreme massage and it dawned on him that until he loses consciousness, no one will eat him. And he won't lose consciousness until the suit cracks. But when it cracks… In short, Paul yelled that the snake would break his arm and he didn’t sign up for it, his comrades rushed to help, freed him from the terrible anaconda, and she finally joyfully walked away, giving herself a vow to stay away from these two-legged cretins as far as possible.
After the broadcast of the film, 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.
Breeding Secrets
On the entire long body of the anaconda, protected by scales, there is only one weak spot - the cloaca. It is from her that during the mating season, the female begins to ooze discharge, densely saturated with pheromones. Leaving behind a fragrant path that says - "Vasya, I am yours forever," the lady lies down by the water and waits. "Vasya" is usually drawn up to 12 pieces. They all wrap themselves around the object of their desire and try to get in touch with the lady. This collective fiddling can last up to a month, until the lady finally decides that she has chosen a partner and opens her “gates” to him. After the fertilization process has passed, the male will leave a special wax “cork” in the cloaca.
Here, in fact, it would be nice for everyone to dump, but this is not always possible. The female will have to carry the eggs for seven months, until the cubs hatch from them, right inside. And caring mothers do not hunt all this time, so as not to harm the offspring. Going without food for a long time is not a problem for cold-blooded snakes, but before it starts, why not have a last bite? What’s more, you don’t even have to stress. While the males are moving away from the love fog, you can choose one that is not the longest and gobble it up, muttering, “to bite!”.
Snakes are born completely independent. “I gave birth to you, and then you yourself somehow,” the woman in labor says and dumps into the sunset. Considering that there are from 20 to 40 individuals in one litter, it would have been impossible to go through the jungle for a long time without crushing the tail of the anaconda, if it were not for this disregard for offspring. A small anaconda is only half a meter long and weighs half a kilo, although it can swim and hunt from birth, it cannot compete with most predators for the time being. However, children grow rapidly and reach adult size in four years.
Where are the giant anacondas found?
Anacondas love to laze around in the water, waiting for suitable prey. If they have a choice, snakes will prefer calm waters, with trees growing near the edge, to sometimes get out to bask in the sun or hang in the shade on a tree, airing. In this sense, the Brazilian Amazon basin is ideal for them, but they are not limited to this territory. You can meet a giant anaconda throughout South America east of the Andes up to northern Paraguay.
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Anaconda lives in the hard-to-reach tropical forests of South America, preferring to spend most of its time in the numerous reservoirs of the Amazonian lowland. Therefore, the anaconda is often called a water boa.
No wonder the anaconda is called a giant. This huge snake looks quite impressive, differing from most of its relatives in its huge size. The largest anaconda has a length of 5.2 m and a weight of 97.5 kg. However, in 1944, geologists in search of oil in the jungles of Colombia accidentally stumbled upon an anaconda, the length of which turned out to be 11 m and 43 cm. True, direct evidence of the snake's huge size was not provided, and since then no one has managed to see a snake of such huge size. At one time, the US Zoological Society even appointed a prize in the form of an impressive amount to those who find an anaconda whose size exceeds 12 m.
The greenish-gray coloring of the snake and large brown spots scattered over the body in a checkerboard pattern camouflage the anaconda very well during the hunt. The snake is not able to hear sounds, but it perfectly feels the slightest vibrations with its body and instantly reacts to them. During periodic molting, she goes blind. Anaconda can stay in the water for a long time thanks to special valves that close its nostrils when immersed. The boa constrictor always stays close to the reservoir, but if dry periods occur and it is difficult to find another reservoir, the anaconda burrows into the silt and falls into a state of suspended animation before the start of the rainy season.
Since the anaconda is a boa constrictor, it does not need to kill its victim with poison, as other snakes do. Therefore, it is not poisonous. But this snake has another weapon - it wraps itself around its victim and is able to strangle a small crocodile in its deadly embrace.
This boa constrictor feeds not only on crocodiles, but also on various reptiles, small mammals, as well as rodents, birds and lizards. Do not disdain and their fellow tribesmen. They can, without a twinge of conscience, dine with a python and have a snack with a representative of their own species.
Anaconda is an ovoviviparous snake. Therefore, the future offspring is more than six months inside the eggs that develop in the body of the mother. Small anacondas leave the egg shell in the same place, after which they are born quite ready for independent life.
Photo: Anaconda underwater. 
Video: Anaconda (lat. Eunectes murinus)
Many of us are afraid of the word "anaconda". By it, we mean something crawling, scary, with creepy green eyes. This boa constrictor is so huge that it can safely swallow not only an animal, but also a person. We have heard from childhood that the biggest snake- This anaconda. Aquatic non-venomous reptile from the family of boas. However, many of the scary stories about her are exaggerated.
Anaconda snake really very big. 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. For such a large and heavy reptile, it would be difficult not only to move around in nature, but also to hunt. She would starve to death.
This boa constrictor does not attack a person. Moreover, he tries to avoid meeting people. The famous English naturalist, zoologist and writer, Gerald Malcolm Durrell, described his encounter with this reptile. He saw her in dense thickets on the banks of the Amazon. It was quite a large individual, about 6 meters in length.
The writer was extremely frightened, instinct forced him to loudly call for help from the accompanying native. However, the snake behaved strangely. At first, he really took a threatening pose, tensed, as if preparing to jump.
He began to hiss menacingly, but did not attack. After a while, his hissing became not menacing, but rather frightened. And when the escort came running, they barely had time to see the tail quickly retreating into the thicket. The boa escaped, not wanting to come into conflict with the man.
However, anaconda in the photo often presented eccentrically and fearfully. Either she attacks a wild pig, completely absorbing it, or wraps herself around a whole bull or fights with a crocodile. However, the Indians still tell stories of how green water boas attack people.
True, they always start the same way. The aborigine hunts birds in the river or catches fish. He comes across a rather large individual and he is forced to enter the river in order to pull it ashore. This is where the monster appears, which is in a hurry to take away the result of the hunt from him. Then it enters into a fight with the hunter for prey. The snake sees in a person more of a rival than a victim. Only blinded by rage, she can fight people.
But people, on the contrary, can hunt these beautiful animals. The skin of the boa constrictor is so good that it is an attractive trophy. Very expensive products are made from it: boots, suitcases, shoes, blankets for horses, clothes. Even the meat and fat of the anaconda is used for food, explaining this with extreme benefits. They say that in some tribes this food is considered a source for maintaining immunity.
Description and features
The giant reptile is very beautiful. It has shiny thick scales, has a large valky body. It is called the "green boa constrictor". Olive color, sometimes lighter, may have a yellowish tint. It is greenish-brown or marsh in color.
On the entire surface of her body, dark spots are located in two wide stripes. On the sides there is a strip of smaller spots surrounded by black rims. This coloring is an excellent disguise, she hides the hunter in the water, making her look like vegetation.
The belly of the anaconda is much lighter. The head is large, there are 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. Her teeth are not large, but it can be very painful to bite, as she has developed jaw muscles. Saliva is not poisonous, but may 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- 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 they close if necessary. The eyes look calmly under water, as they are equipped with transparent protective scales. Her organ of smell and taste is a mobile tongue.
Note that the length of the anaconda is noticeably inferior to the length of the reticulated python, another gigantic snake. But, in terms of weight, it is massive. Any anaconda is almost twice as heavy and stronger than its relative. One ring of her "death 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 untenable. However, it is the heaviest and strongest of all known. In terms of weight per body volume, the boa constrictor is second only to the Komodo monitor lizard. Maybe this is what makes him live and hunt in the water, such a weight requires the support of the water element.
Most often, the storytellers, describing the huge size of this waterfowl, try to exaggerate their merits in her capture. The biggest snake anaconda was seen in 1944 in Colombia.
Its length according to the stories was 11.5 meters. But there are no photographs of an amazing creation. It's hard to imagine how much it could weigh. The largest snake was caught in Venezuela. Its length was 5.2 meters and it weighed 97.5 kg.
Kinds
anaconda snake world represented by 4 types:
- Giant. It 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, east of the Andes mountains. 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 Shauensi (Deshauenseya) lives in the north-west of Brazil, its length is less 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 only found in Bolivia. Perhaps it will eventually be identified with the above reptile, despite the habitat.
Lifestyle and habitat
These huge boas live near the water, lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Most often they inhabit rivers with stagnant or slowly flowing water. Such overgrown ponds, backwaters or oxbow lakes are usually rich in vegetation and wildlife. It is easy to hide there, disguised as flora.
They mostly spend time in the river, occasionally getting to the surface. They crawl out to bask in a sunny place, they can climb tree branches near the water. They live, hunt and mate there.
Their main habitats are river basins. The Amazon is the main body of water in their lives. The boa constrictor lives wherever it flows. It inhabits the water arteries of the Orinoco, Paraguay, Parana, Rio Negro. It also lives on the island of Trinidad.
If the reservoirs dry up, it moves to another place or sinks downstream along the river. In the drought that captures some areas of the snake's residence in summer, it can hide from the heat in the silt at the bottom and hibernate there. This is a kind of state of stupor in which she is before the start of the rains. It helps her survive.
Anaconda some people settle in a terrarium, as outwardly it is very spectacular. The reptile is unpretentious and illegible in food, which makes it easier to live in zoos. Adults are calm and lazy. Young ones are more mobile and aggressive. They breed well in captivity.
She also sheds in the water. Watching a reptile in a terrarium, you can see how, having plunged into a container, it rubs against the bottom of the pool, gradually freeing itself from old skin, like from a boring stocking.
Anaconda is very tenacious. Hunting for it usually takes place in the form of catching with nooses, which are installed near the habitat of the animal. Having caught the snake, the loop is strongly tightened, almost preventing the captured reptile from breathing. However, she never suffocates. She again gets out of the situation, falling into a saving stupor.
They say that the caught anacondas, which seemed lifeless for several hours, then suddenly came to life. And it was not out of place at the same time that the precaution to carefully tie the snake was. She came to life abruptly, and could injure others.
Moreover, if you do not have time to determine the animal to the place of delivery, to a more spacious room, it will twitch in an attempt 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 traveling zoos. She stopped moving and eating. Looked dead. The watchman, seeing this situation, decided to get rid of the body of the snake, fearing that he would be considered the culprit of her death.
He threw her into the river. And in the cage he parted the bars, lying that the snake itself squeezed through and ran away. The owner began to look for the anaconda, but to no avail. The zoo has moved to another location. The snake continued to search. Finally, everyone decided that she died or froze.
It was the north of Germany. And the reptile survived, recovered, and lived for a long time in the river, into which the watchman threw it. She floated on the surface on warm nights, frightening eyewitnesses. Winter came. The animal disappeared again, again everyone thought that it had died.
However, in the spring, the reptile reappeared in this river, to the horror and surprise of the inhabitants. This went on for several years. This amazing case proves that anacondas are very tenacious in freedom, while in captivity you have to constantly take care of their habitat. Keep them warm in the cold, change the water, etc.
Nutrition
These amazing creatures feed on fish, amphibians, small iguanas, turtles and even other snakes. Catch birds, parrots, herons, ducks, aquatic mammals such as capybaras and otters. It can attack a young tapir, deer, peccary, agouti who comes to drink. She grabs them by the river and drags them deeper. It does not crush bones, like other large snakes, but simply does not allow the victim to breathe.
Having strangled the prey with mighty hugs, it swallows it whole. At this moment, her throat and jaws are very significantly stretched. And then the boa constrictor lies at the bottom for a long time, digesting food. It is strange that, living in the water element, he prefers to eat the inhabitants of the earth's surface.
In freedom, the snake feeds only on fresh prey. And in captivity, it can be accustomed to carrion. Cases of cannibalism have been observed in these reptiles. Cruelty and the desire to survive - that's their main principle on the hunt. Adult anacondas have no natural enemies, except for humans, of course. He hunts them for a beautiful and thick skin.
And young anacondas may have enemies in the form of crocodiles, caimans, with which she competes on the territory. May be attacked by jaguars, cougars. A wounded snake can get piranhas.
In the Amazonian tribes, there are legends about tamed predators. They say that a reptile caught from a young age can get along next to a person. Then she helps him, protecting the dwelling from small predators, and utility rooms - warehouses and barns - from rats and mice.
For the same purpose, they were sometimes launched into the hold of the ship. Quite quickly, the animal helped free the ship from uninvited guests. Previously, such reptiles were transported in boxes with holes, as 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, at the arrival of the breeding season, they begin to accumulate in groups. The female is able to mate with several males at the same time.
The mating season falls on April-May. And at this time, the snakes are especially hungry. If they can not eat for a long time, but during the mating season, hunger is unbearable for them. Reptiles need to urgently eat and find a partner. Only well-fed female anacondas successfully give birth to offspring.
Male individuals find the female by the odorous trail that she leaves on the ground. She releases pheromones. There is an assumption that the snake also emits odorous substances into the air, but this theory has not been investigated. All males who managed to receive a “fragrant invitation” from her take part in the mating games.
During the mating season, it is especially dangerous to watch them. Males are very excited, they can attack anyone in a rage. Participants of the ritual gather into balls, intertwine. They wrap themselves around each other gently and tightly, using the rudiment of the leg. They have such a process on the body, a false leg. The whole process is accompanied by grinding and other sharp sounds.
It is not known who the ultimate father of the offspring is. More often they become snake anaconda, which turned out to be the brightest and most affectionate. Several males may claim to mate with a female. In any case, after mating, all participants crawl in different directions.
The female bears offspring for about 6-7 months. At this time, she does not eat. To survive, she needs to find a secluded rookery. Everything is complicated by the fact that gestation falls on a drought. The snake crawls from one place to another in search of the wettest 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, shows her precious offspring to the world.
These animals are ovoviviparous. Usually a snake gives birth to 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, the anaconda can finally eat its fill.
Immediately after the birth, the babies are left to their own devices. Mom doesn't care about them. They themselves study the world around them. The ability to go without food for a long time 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 are already independently looking for their prey. In nature, the reptile lives 5-7 years. And in a terrarium, her life span is much longer, up to 28 years.
We are afraid of these beauties, and they seem to be afraid of us. However, any kind of animal that lives on earth is very important for the planet as a whole. This formidable reptile has direct duties.
She, like any predator, kills sick and wounded animals, which cleanses the natural world. And if we forget about our fear of anacondas and just watch them in a terrarium, we will see how graceful, beautiful and attractive they are.
It belongs to the class reptiles, the scaly order, the suborder snakes, the infraorder lower snakes, the false-legged family, the boa constrictor subfamily, the anaconda genus.
2. Anacondas live on the island of Trinidad, as well as throughout the tropics of South America: the range covers countries such as Venezuela and Peru, Brazil and eastern Paraguay, Ecuador, northern Bolivia, Colombia, Guyana and Guiana.
3. According to etymologists, the name of the snake originates from the Sinhala language and comes from the word “henakandaya”, meaning “rattlesnake”. Another version says that the anaconda got its name from the Tamil word, consonant with the word "anaconda", which translates as "elephant killer". In the scientific classification, the genus name sounds like Eunectes, which in Latin means “good swimmer”.
4. Like most large snakes (pythons and boas), anacondas grow throughout their entire life cycle, the first years are especially intensive, and when mature, much more slowly.
5. The genus of anacondas includes 4 modern species of snakes: giant anaconda, Paraguayan anaconda, Eunectes beniensis anaconda, Deschauensey's anaconda.
giant anaconda
6. Giant anaconda (common anaconda, green anaconda) - the largest species of anacondas with a body length of about 5-6 meters, and a weight of 97 kilograms or more. Scientists have found that a giant anaconda with a length of 9 to 11 meters is a myth, since its length does not exceed 6.5 meters.
7. The body of this snake is gray-green in color, the back is covered with 2 rows of large brown spots of a round or oval shape, arranged in a checkerboard pattern.
8. A series of small yellow round marks with a black border runs along the lateral surface of the body of the snake.
9. The giant anaconda lives in the tropical zone of South America from Brazil and Paraguay to Bolivia, Peru and the island of Trinidad.
10. The snake prefers slow-flowing, muddy backwaters and shallow lakes in the Amazon and Orinoco basins.
Paraguayan anaconda
11. Paraguayan anaconda, also known as the southern or yellow anaconda, has a length of 2 to 4 meters.
12. Most representatives of this species are yellow in color, but there are greenish and gray individuals.
13. The body of this anaconda is decorated with a large pattern of black or brown spots of a round or oblong shape with a light middle.
14. The Paraguayan anaconda lives in stagnant or low-flowing waters of Paraguay, northern Argentina and southern Bolivia. Despite its gigantic size, the anaconda often falls prey to a jaguar or caiman, and a wounded snake can attract the attention of a flock of piranhas, which can also attack a weakened animal.
15. These huge snakes are excellent swimmers, because they spend almost their entire lives in the water, occasionally crawling ashore to bask in the sun, or climb trees, wrapping their bodies around lower branches. If the reservoir dries up, the anaconda snake moves downstream along the riverbed or burrows into the silt and falls into suspended animation before the onset of the rainy season.
16. Anaconda Eunectes beniensis - a snake resembling the Paraguayan anaconda in appearance, and in this regard, there is a possibility of classifying this species as Eunectes notaeus.
17. The length of the anaconda is 4 meters, these snakes have a brownish-olive or brown color of the back and a gray-brown-yellow color of the lower body. The pattern is represented by 5 longitudinal dark stripes on the head and hundreds of evenly dark spots on the back.
18. This species of anaconda inhabits swamps and humid forests in northeastern Bolivia and possibly in adjacent territories of Brazil.
19. Anaconda is not a poisonous snake, and it is characterized by a method of hunting, characteristic of all boas: the snake motionlessly guards the prey, and then makes a sharp throw, wraps the victim with a muscular body and strangles. But it does not press or break the animal's bones, as boas usually do. As a result, the victim of the anaconda dies of suffocation. Also, the snake can grab prey with its teeth.
20. Despite powerful stomach acids, large food is digested for several weeks, leaving a substantial supply of nutrients and energy in the reptile's body. Thanks to this feature, anaconda snakes are by no means voracious and can go completely without food for a long time.
Anaconda Deschauensea
21. Anaconda Deschauenseya is a rare, little-studied species, whose representatives are relatively small in size: the length of an adult anaconda is 1.3-1.9 meters. The snake lives in a swampy area in the northeast of Brazil and in Guiana.
22. The body of a snake is divided into a tail and a huge body with 435 vertebrae. Its ribs are movable and allow it to swallow very large prey.
23. The skull of the anaconda consists of movable bones interconnected by ligaments. It is thanks to this feature that it opens its mouth wide and swallows the prey whole.
24. Highly located eyes and nostrils allow the anaconda to breathe underwater. Its eyes allow it to quickly track prey rather than focus, thanks to its transparent scales.
25. An important organ of the snake is the tongue, which is responsible for taste and smell. The anaconda feeds on various types of mammals and reptiles, fish in the snake's menu occupies the least significant part. Agoutis, iguanas and other lizards, water birds, as well as some large animals: capybaras, peccaries, young caimans, turtles, capybaras, tupinambis and snakes, including rather large pythons, serve as food for it.
26. The teeth of a giant anaconda do not contain poison, although they are sharp and long, so a bite for a person is not deadly.
27. The skin of the anaconda is dry and dense, because it does not have mucous glands. But it is shiny, thanks to the scales.
28. The molting of these reptiles occurs according to the principle of “turned inside out stocking” - the snake sheds a single layer at a time.
29. 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.
30. The first official mention of the anaconda in a work of art is found in the story "Chronicles of Peru" by Pedro Cies de Leon, which was written in 1553. The author claims that this information is reliable and describes the anaconda as a huge snake 20 feet long with a reddish head and evil green eyes. She was subsequently killed, and a whole fawn was found in her stomach.
31. Compared to the anaconda constrictors we are used to, they are much stronger and more aggressive. They can bite or attack a person, but more often still prefer not to get involved in a conflict. Left alone with a giant reptile, you need to be very careful and do not provoke the anaconda with loud sounds or sudden movements.
32. The strength and musculature of this snake far exceeds the strength of a boa constrictor, it is generally accepted that one turn of the body of an anaconda is several times stronger than one turn of a boa constrictor.
33. Anaconda is the largest snake in the world fauna, and females grow much larger than males. According to the most reliable and verified information, the usual length of this snake does not exceed 4-5 meters.
34. Anaconda does not know how to paralyze the victim with a glance. They can only enter into a stupor from their wild smell.
35. People were afraid of the anaconda and considered it a bloodthirsty snake, in fact, only one attack on a teenage boy from an Indian tribe was recorded.
36. Anacondas lead a solitary lifestyle, and gather in groups only during the breeding season. The mating season coincides with the rainy season, which in the Amazon begins in mid-spring.
37. During the breeding season, anacondas crawl out onto land, and males look for females by the smell of pheromones that females leave on the ground.
38. One female can have several partners. Anacondas, like other snakes, mate by coiling into a ball of intertwined bodies. To hold a partner, males use the rudimentary organs of the hind limbs - a method characteristic of all members of the pseudo-legged family. At the same time, a grinding sound comes from a ball of grappled giant snakes.
39. Anacondas are ovoviviparous snakes, the incubation period is 6-7 months, during which the female is severely depleted, losing almost half of her weight.
40. Very rarely, pregnancy ends with the laying of eggs: as a rule, egg shells burst in the womb, and from 28 to 42 cubs are born (according to one version, there may be about 100 kites).
Anaconda at the zoo
41. Anaconda lives in many public and private zoos around the world, but it is very difficult to create comfortable conditions for breeding, and therefore snakes rarely live up to 20 years in captivity, and the average life expectancy in zoos is short: 7–10 years.
42. The Swedish zoologist G. Dahl in his diaries describes an animal he caught in Colombia more than 8 meters long, and his compatriot Ralph Bloomberg describes anacondas 8.5 meters long.
43. But such sizes are rather an exception to the rule, and stories about caught 11-meter anacondas are nothing more than hunting stories.
44. Anaconda does not prey on humans, and local Indian tribes often catch anacondas for the sake of tender and pleasant meat, and various souvenirs and crafts for tourists are made from leather.
45. When a person is in the water, the snake does not see him completely and can easily take him for a capybara or a deer cub.
Gerald Durrell
46. The famous English zoologist Gerald Durrell describes his hunting for the anaconda and describes it not as a formidable predator, but an animal that was weakly defended and did not show aggression. The zoologist caught her by simply grabbing her by the tail and throwing a bag over the head of the "fierce anaconda".
47. It is not known exactly how long the anaconda lives in natural conditions, but in captivity the average age of the snake is 5-6 years. The maximum recorded lifespan of the anaconda was 28 years.
48. When in danger, the anaconda hides in the nearest body of water and can be under water for a very long time.
49. Due to the fact that this reptile leads a very secretive and inconspicuous way of life, its numbers until now have only an approximate value. Therefore, it is still a problem for scientists to accurately count the number of anacondas in a particular region.
50. The dynamics of the population is also poorly monitored, and the Red Book indicates that there is no threat of extinction of the species. According to a number of scientists, the anaconda does not belong to animals that are threatened with extermination.
Anaconda (water boa) - a large non-venomous snake, belongs to the class of reptiles, the scaly order, the suborder of snakes, the infraorder lower snakes, the false-legged family, the subfamily, the genus of anaconda ( 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 the Tamil word, consonant with 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?
Anaconda is a very large snake, and females are 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. Rumors about the capture of anacondas 9-11 m long are regarded by some scientists as false. Although the Soviet books indicate a different maximum length of this snake - 11.43 meters (Akimushkin I. "The World of Animals", "The Life of Animals", edited by Zenkevich, vol. 4, part 2).
Like all reptiles, the axial skeleton of the anaconda is divided into a body and a tail, consisting of vertebrae, the number of which can be 435 pieces.
The ribs of the snake are movable and diverge widely when swallowing large prey.
The skull of the anaconda 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 a potential victim.
The snake's eyes are protected by transparent scales (lids) and are adapted to track the movement of objects rather than focus images.
Anaconda teeth are long and sharp, but contain no venom. 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 skin of the anaconda is dense and dry, shiny due to glossy scales.
The molting of the reptile occurs according to the principle of “turned inside out stocking” - the snake molts in a single layer at a time.
The body of the anaconda is evenly colored grayish green, yellowish or olive.
There are 2 rows of large dark spots along the spine - a classic example of disguise, perfectly hiding the snake against the background of the water surface and dark aquatic vegetation.
How long does an anaconda live?
Like most large snakes (and boas), anacondas grow throughout their life cycle, the first years are especially intensive, and when mature, they grow much more slowly. It is not known exactly how long the anaconda lives in natural conditions, but in captivity the average age of the snake is 5-6 years. The maximum recorded lifespan of the anaconda was 28 years.
Where does the anaconda live?
Anacondas live on the island of Trinidad, as well as throughout the tropics of South America: the range covers countries such as Venezuela and Peru, Brazil and eastern Paraguay, Ecuador, northern Bolivia, Colombia, Guyana and Guiana. A typical environment where the anaconda lives is quiet river channels with a weak current, river backwaters and swamps. If the reservoir dries up, the anaconda snake moves downstream along the riverbed or burrows into the silt and falls into suspended animation before the onset of the rainy season.
These huge snakes are excellent swimmers, because they spend almost their entire lives in the water, occasionally crawling ashore to bask in the sun, or climb trees, wrapping their bodies around lower branches.
What does the anaconda eat?
At the bottom of the river, the anaconda sheds its old skin, hunts in the same place or lies in wait for prey near the shore. The anaconda is a non-venomous snake, and it is characterized by a hunting method common to all boas: the snake motionlessly guards the prey, and then makes a sharp throw, wraps the victim with a muscular body and strangles. But it does not press or break the animal's bones, as boas usually do. As a result, the victim of the anaconda dies of suffocation. Also, the snake can grab prey with its teeth.
The anaconda feeds on various types of mammals and reptiles, fish in the snake's menu occupies the least significant part.
Agoutis, iguanas and other waterfowl, as well as some large animals: capybaras, peccaries, young caimans, capybaras, and tupinambis, including rather large pythons, serve as food for her.
Illegible anacondas practice cannibalism. Also, small domestic animals often become victims of giant snakes:, and.
Despite powerful stomach acids, large food is digested for several weeks, leaving a substantial supply of nutrients and energy in the reptile's body. Thanks to this feature, anaconda snakes are by no means voracious and can go completely without food for a long time.
Anaconda - photos, types and names
The anaconda genus includes 4 modern types of snakes:
- Giant anaconda (common anaconda, green anaconda)(Eunectes murinus)
the largest species of anacondas with a body length of about 5-6 meters. The body of the snake is gray-green in color, the back is covered with 2 rows of large brown spots of a round or oval shape, arranged in a checkerboard pattern. A series of small yellow round marks with a black border runs along the lateral surface of the snake's body. The giant anaconda lives in the tropical zone of South America from Brazil and Paraguay to Bolivia, Peru and the island of Trinidad. The snake prefers slow-flowing, muddy backwaters and shallow lakes of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins.
- Paraguayan anaconda, she is southern or yellow anaconda(Eunectes notaeus)
has a length of 2 to 4 meters. Most representatives of the species are yellow in 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 middle. The Paraguayan anaconda lives in the stagnant or low-flowing waters of Paraguay, northern Argentina and southern Bolivia.
- Eunectes beniensis
a snake resembling the Paraguayan anaconda in appearance, 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 back color and a gray-brown-yellow color of the lower body. The pattern is represented by 5 longitudinal dark stripes on the head and hundreds of evenly dark spots on the back. This species of anaconda inhabits swamps and humid forests in the northeast of Bolivia and, possibly, in the adjacent territories of Brazil.
- Anaconda Deschauensea(Eunectes deschauenseei)
a rare, little-studied species, whose representatives are relatively small in size: the length of an adult anaconda is 1.3-1.9 meters. The snake lives in a swampy area in the northeast of Brazil and in Guiana.
