The largest and longest anacondas. Anaconda snake. Anaconda lifestyle and habitat Anacondas are found exclusively in South America
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 human whole. Today, thanks to existing huge snakes myth turns into reality.
The largest anaconda in the world, with a length of 11.43 m, was caught in the swampy area of Colombia. On the this moment in the New York Zoological Society lives a representative of boas about 9 meters in length and weighing 130 kg.
Another representative of the huge reptiles is the reticulated python. Its length is 12.2 m, and its weight is 2 centners. He lives now in the Japanese Zoological Garden.
From poisonous snakes considered the largest King Cobra reaching up to 5.5 m in length. Its habitat is India, Indochina and South China. The bite of a cobra is so poisonous that the death of a person occurs within a few minutes.
Anaconda is a super predator!
Anaconda of South America is the largest snake in the world of the boa family. At a meeting with her, a person’s blood turns cold and fear paralyzes the members. The strong writhing body of the snake is capable of strangling anyone who stands in its way, even an adult bull. And no wonder, the longest snake in the world can be compared to a bus. Her weight, in some cases, reaches the mass of three adult men.
Both cunning, cunning, and size, combined with the method of movement, enhance their eerie mystical charm.
But today, scientists are learning more and more about this mysterious creature.
Habitat and general characteristics of giants
Large anacondas always stay close to water, live in lakes, rivers, canals and channels that make up the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in South America and also on the island of Trinidad.
Savanna Llanos, in Central Venezuela, with its lagoons and swamps - perfect place for anaconda habitat. them here large quantity than anywhere else. The climate of the area is such that there is a drought for half a year, followed by a half-year period of rains.
In most snake species, females are larger than males, but anacondas show one of the most significant 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, having a girth of 30 cm. Males, by contrast, remain much smaller and thinner than females.
Like human fingerprints fingers, the pattern of scales on the underside of the tail is unique in each individual. This pattern, with which anacondas are born, remains unchanged.
Like other snakes, anacondas are cold-blooded creatures; are ectotherms. They cannot generate their own heat, but are forced to look for it in environment. Therefore, they are constantly in search of places with desired 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 tend to kill their victims by squeezing them tightly. So much so that the blood does not flow into the heart. The heart stops beating, 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 take up to 6 hours depending on the amount of production.
Before the mating season, females must build up enough fat to carry offspring, since during pregnancy they do not eat for 7 months or more.
Even a turtle can become a victim, the shell of which perfectly dissolves the gastric juice of the strongest aggressive concentration. It is characteristic that after defecation there is no evidence left, all the bones are digested.
Anacondas eat various animals, ranging from small birds to large animals. The snake rarely loses in a fight, but sharp teeth and the prey's claws can decide the outcome against the predator.
When snakes want to gain weight, especially before the 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 they inflict mortal wounds on the snake. When a snake is having lunch, the food often tries to bite off a piece for itself.
Unlike other predators, giant snake swallows food whole. But, to compensate for the lack of limbs, the anaconda, like most snakes, has become 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 absence of such weapons as claws, snakes are skilled hunters. They use a number of complex tricks to survive in a hostile environment. Quite harmless appearance a forked tongue instills fear in most people. And some are even convinced that a snake can sting with its tongue. But this highly sensitive organ is vital for any snake to navigate its world.
With each protrusion of the tongue, the snake scans what is around. Both on land and under water, chemical analysis of particles is carried out with the help of the tongue, which enters the brain through two holes in the sky, leading to the so-called Jacobson's organ. This is why snakes have forked tongues.
The absence of eyelids on the eyes also gives the snakes a mystery. But what exactly they see, and how they do it, is still a mystery to scientists. No wonder 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 the drought period, when the humidity is not as high as during the rainy season. The male wraps around the female so that outwardly it looks like spiral spaghetti. Moreover, the expression "group sex" quite accurately characterizes the mating of anacondas, since many males wrap around the female at the same time.
They scratch at her skin with hip spurs, a primitive appendage inherited from the ancestors of lizards. This is the courtship phase, lasting up to 6 weeks, when the males are trying to figure out who can stay near the female. During all this time, snakes spend a huge amount of energy. They don't eat, they don't hunt, they just groom and mate. This is an amazing ritual!
Despite the inequality, there are no conflicts between males. This is a duel of perseverance and patience.
When fertilization has occurred, the tangle disintegrates. Males and females go each in their own direction.
New life
In seven months, the anaconda will give birth to 20 to 60 live cubs.
The mother does not feed during pregnancy because she is vulnerable to predators. Therefore, the months of pregnancy are stressful for the snake. By the beginning of childbirth, the mother will simply “die” of hunger.
Newborns reach up to 60 cm in length and from the very first breath they have to take care of themselves. Females do not feed their young.
Cubs are born with the ability to swim, and with all the skills necessary for survival. But they still have a chance to die. If predators practically do not hunt adult anacondas, then newborns are extremely vulnerable to any threat: from caimans and birds to wild cats, ocelots and jaguars.
By reaching sexual maturity, after 8 years, the anaconda weighs 500 times more than at birth. These growth rates are significantly higher than those of other snake species.
Not many baby anacondas will survive the first year of life. Snakes don't win numbers competitions. Sayings “Like a snake in the grass”, “He has a tongue like a snake”, “Snake is a snake” reinforce negative image snakes as dangerous and evil creatures.
Therefore, the main enemy of the anaconda is man. These mystical giants are slaughtered for beautiful skin and for the production of medicines.
They are now recognized by scientists as an endangered species.
The green giant anaconda lives in South America. The snake received this name for its size, ranging from 5 to 9 meters. According to reliable sources, the largest anaconda was 11.43 meters long.
The greenish hue of this snake also played a role in its name. Anacondas of all species have rounded and oblong spots on their bodies. The Paraguayan anaconda is famous for its brightest color. Her corpus luteum decorated with blue spots.
Females differ from males more large size and thickness. characteristic feature these reptiles is sharp bad smell which they publish in their presence.
The anaconda's diet consists of wild pigs, deer, birds, turtles, caimans, and even jaguars. Wrapping around its prey, the snake compresses it until it is completely strangled, and then, with the help of the lower movable jaw, swallows the prey whole. "Having eaten" in this way, the anaconda can go without food for about a month. It should be noted that, contrary to notoriety, the anaconda does not attack a person. On the contrary, the snake, having caught its smell, hastily retreats, since it itself is an object of hunting among the local population. It is believed that anaconda meat has high palatability.
The whole life of the anaconda passes near water bodies. Here she hunts, sometimes basking in the sun on the shore or located on the branches of a tree. Anaconda is an excellent swimmer and diver. The snake has special valves that close the nostrils, allowing it to stay in the water for a long time.
During the dry period, the snake can burrow into the muddy bottom of the reservoir and, falling into a deep stupor, waits out the drought. As a rule, the female at this time is in a state of pregnancy. Having safely waited out the drought, the female gives birth to about 40 cubs, which immediately after birth swim and hunt.
AT wild nature Anaconda can live for about 10 years.
A few more photos of the caught anaconda.
Video: Anaconda swallowed too much prey. Anaconda Snake Pukes Out A Cow In A Jungle River
Anacondas are the largest snakes on Earth, known for their ability to swallow large animals. There are 3-4 species of anacondas in the world, they belong to the pseudo-legged family and are closely related to boas and pythons. The most famous is the common anaconda (it is also called the giant, green or simply anaconda), other species (Paraguayan, Benyan) are little known.
Giant, or ordinary, or green anaconda(Eunectes murinus).
Anacondas have all the typical features of boas. They have a relatively small head and a long and muscular body. Like all members of the false-legged anaconda family, they have two full-fledged lungs (and not one, like real snakes). They have completely preserved pelvic bones, however, there are no hind limbs, they are replaced by rudimentary (residual) claws. But still, anacondas are much more massive than all other snakes, the thickness of their body is amazing, in girth it is equal to girth human body. The average length of the Paraguayan and Benyan anacondas is 3-4 m, the giant anaconda reaches an average of 5-6 m in length, but large individuals grow up to 9-10 m. The largest copy of the giant anaconda had a length of 11.43 m! However, it is worth noting that such animals are extremely rare. Recently, the Wildlife Conservation Society established a $50,000 prize for anyone who presents an anaconda over 9 meters long, but it still remains unclaimed. Rumors about snakes 18-40 m long are absolutely untrue. In addition to the title of the most big snake the reticulated python also claims, according to unofficial data, there are specimens over 11 m long, but these records have not been confirmed. Anacondas weigh 150-250 kg.
The color of the giant anaconda is clayey with a greenish or blackish tint, spots are scattered over the body. On the back they are oblong, large, dark; on the belly they are small, round, light with a dark border. The coloration of the Benyan anaconda is similar to that of the giant anaconda, and the Paraguayan anaconda is the brightest of all the species. Her main body color is yellow, and dark spots cast blue. Anacondas have pronounced sexual dimorphism, females are noticeably larger and thicker than males. Unusual feature anacondas is a pronounced unpleasant odor exuded by these snakes.
Paraguayan, or yellow, or southern anaconda(Eunectes notaeus).
Anacondas live only in South America, they are found almost throughout the continent - from the Andes in the west to the Atlantic coast in the east. They are also found on the island of Trinidad off the coast of South America. Anacondas inhabit only warm tropical regions, for this reason they do not rise to temperate mountain zones. The life of anacondas is closely connected with water bodies, they inhabit the banks of rivers and swamps, they do not move far from the coast. Anacondas live alone, the density of their settlements is low, so they are rare.
Like all snakes, anacondas are quite passive, usually they lie on the shore or crawl on the branches of coastal trees. In search of food, they examine water bodies. Anacondas are great swimmers and divers, they can stay under water for a long time without rising to the surface. Even the molting of anacondas takes place in the water, where they rub against driftwood to get rid of old skin. Anacondas lie in wait for their prey near the water or pursue it. The caught animal anaconda wraps the rings around its body, strangles and swallows. These snakes have no venom.
Underwater shooting of an anaconda. In nature, these snakes behave calmly and do not pose a danger to people.
Contrary to the beliefs of many people, anacondas are not bloodthirsty and do not attack large animals. Usually their prey are small rodents, young crocodiles, capybaras, turtles, smaller pythons, waterfowl. Occasionally, anacondas can attack adult crocodiles, deer, peccaries, tapirs, jaguars, cougars, sloths swimming across rivers. It happens that these snakes rob in settlements, where they eat goats, pigs, calves left unattended. Under no circumstances can anacondas swallow large ungulates (cows, horses). Their danger to people is also greatly exaggerated: anacondas are simply not interested in such prey. But still, several cases of death in the mouth of anacondas are known. All victims of anacondas at the time of the attack were away from the settlements, were alone and probably did not see the predator. So far, not a single case of salvation from the embrace of this snake is known. The anaconda digests large prey for several days, and the supply of nutrients is enough for it for several months, so the appetite of the anacondas is very modest.
The breeding season is April-May. Males find their chosen one by the scent trail left by the female. Snakes form a ball of intertwined bodies and can stay in this position for several days. In fact, at the same time, a mating duel of males takes place, but it is expressed in muscle contractions, with which a stronger male tries to force a weak one out of a ball. The male encourages the female to mate by stroking her body with the rudiments of the limbs (claws), while the rattle of the scales is heard. Mating often occurs under water or near it. Anaconda pregnancy lasts 6-7 months. These snakes are ovoviviparous. Usually they give birth to cubs, less often they can lay eggs, from which young anacondas immediately hatch. One female is capable of giving birth to 30-44 cubs, each of which at birth has a length of 50-80 cm.
Pregnant female anaconda. Unlike other animals, anacondas do not gain weight during pregnancy, but lose weight.
Anaconda cubs are vulnerable to predators and even to their parents, because cases of cannibalism in anacondas occur. Enemies of young anacondas can be large crocodiles, jaguars, cougars. But those who live to adulthood are guaranteed a quiet life. No animal dares to attack adult anacondas, so they behave rather carelessly.
When catching anacondas, they behave quite calmly, several people can easily cope with one snake.
In captivity, anacondas live an average of 5-6 years, which is much less than their natural lifespan. The maximum age of the anaconda in captivity was 28 years, the life expectancy in nature is unknown, since it is difficult to constantly monitor them in inaccessible habitats for anacondas. Anacondas are a coveted exhibit for many zoos and private collectors. Having the largest snake in a terrarium is prestigious, but difficult. To feel good, these snakes definitely need water (the larger the pool, the better), sunny and shady areas. In captivity, anacondas often show unusual aggressiveness.
Anaconda (lat. Eunectes murinus) is one of the most beloved modern monsters. Thanks to the American thriller of the same name, references to this huge, grayish-green, brown-spotted boa constrictor make the hair on the head move quietly even in people who have never seen (and never will see) it live.
The anaconda is also called the giant anaconda, common anaconda, and green anaconda. Europeans first heard about this representative of the false-legged family in 1553 from Pedro Ciesa de Leon's book Chronicle of Peru. According to Pedro, the specimen he encountered was 20 feet long and incredibly fat. The Spaniards, not without difficulty, killed the snake and found a whole in her stomach.
Despite the fact that from time to time there are eyewitness accounts claiming to have seen an anaconda 10, 20, or even more meters, it is believed that the average size of this snake is 5-6 meters, and the largest specimen lives in the New York Zoological Society - its length is 9 meters and weighs 130 kg. The question arises: if even in captivity they managed to grow such a monster, then how can it be in its natural environment- in a virtually untouched tropical part of South America?
It is precisely because of the inaccessibility of its habitats that very little is known about the habits of the giant anaconda. Almost all information is collected by observing these animals in zoos. It is also difficult to estimate their abundance in the wild. However, this species does not appear to be in danger of extinction.
Anaconda lives in quiet bays, lakes and backwaters of the Orinoco and Amazon basins. It also guards its victims: various mammals, young caimans, turtles and waterfowl. It eats fish very rarely, although it can easily catch it. The snake's lightning-fast reaction helps it grab unwary prey, which it wraps around in rings and strangles, so that it can then be swallowed whole. At the same time, her mouth and throat are stretched to incredible sizes.
The anaconda crawls out of the water extremely reluctantly, only to bask in the sun, hanging its huge body on the branches of coastal trees. During a drought, she either seeks a new place to live, or burrows into the bottom silt, where she falls into a stupor and waits for the start of the rainy season.
Seasonal showers, which begin in April-May, force male anacondas to seek meetings with females, leaving a specific smell on the ground during this period. When mating, males use the rudiments of their hind limbs to clutch with females. Pregnancy lasts 6-7 (according to some information 9) months.
Anacondas are ovoviviparous, they give birth to 28 to 42 kites, a little more than half a meter long. On the 5th-13th day, they have the first molt, after which the young begin to eat intensively. Often, snakes themselves become victims of a variety of predators. And so they grow until they reach such a size that no beast wants to measure strength with them.
As for attacks on a person, only a few cases are reliably known. And even then it is believed that the anaconda did it quite by accident. Although it is unlikely that the true victims of a huge snake could tell the world about their misadventures. So it's possible that the rumors about her are not so exaggerated...
Anaconda (water boa) - large non-venomous snake, belongs to the class reptiles, the scaly order, the snake suborder, the lower snake infraorder, the false-legged family, the subfamily, the anaconda genus (lat. Eunectes).
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". AT 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 - very large snake and the females are much larger than the 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 big booty entirely.
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.
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 gluttonous and long time can go completely without food.
Anaconda - photos, types and names.
Anaconda genus includes 4 modern look snake:
- giant anaconda(common anaconda, green anaconda)(lat. Eunectes murinus)- most large view 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 tropical zone South America from Brazil and Paraguay to Bolivia, Peru and the island of Trinidad. The snake prefers slow-flowing, muddy backwaters and shallow lakes in the Amazon and Orinoco basins.
- Paraguayan anaconda, she is southern or yellow anaconda(lat. 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.
- Anaconda Eunectes beniensis- a snake resembling 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 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 moist forests in the northeast of Bolivia and, possibly, in the adjacent territories of Brazil.
- Anaconda Deschauensea(lat. 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.
