How many meters does the anaconda reach. The largest and longest anacondas

International scientific name

Eunectes murinus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Systematics on Wikispecies

Images at Wikimedia Commons

ITIS NCBI EOL

Leaving the city of Antioch for Cartagena, when we settled it, Captain Jorge Robledo and others found so many fish that we killed with sticks what we would like to catch ... In addition, very large snakes are found in the thickets. I want to tell and tell about something authentically known, although I did not see it [himself], but there were many contemporaries who are trustworthy, and this is what it is: when, on the orders of the licentiate of St. Cruz, Lieutenant Juan Creciano passed along this road in search of Licentiate Juan de Vadillo, leading with him some Spaniards, among whom were a certain Manuel de Peralta, Pedro de Barros, and Pedro Shimon, they stumbled upon a snake or snake, so large that it was 20 feet long, and very fat. His head is light red, and fearsome green eyes, and since he saw them, he wanted to go towards them, but Pedro Shimon inflicted such a wound on him with a spear that even though he came into an [indescribable] rage, [still ] died. And they found in his belly a whole fawn [tapir?], as he was when he ate it; I will say [also] that some hungry Spaniards began to eat the deer and even part of the snake.

Cieza de Leon, Pedro. Chronicle of Peru. Part one. Chapter IX.

Appearance

Anaconda is the largest modern snake. Its average length is 5-6 meters, and specimens of 8-9 meters are often found. The authentically measured individual, unique in size, had a length of 11.43 m (however, this specimen could not be preserved). Currently the largest known giant anaconda has a length of about 9 meters and a weight of about 130 kg, it is kept in the New York Zoological Society.

The main body color of the anaconda is grayish-green with two rows of large brown spots of a rounded 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 hides the snake when it lurks in still water covered with brown leaves and tufts of algae.

Anaconda is not poisonous. Females are much larger and stronger than males.

Range and conservation problem

Due to the inaccessibility of anaconda habitats, it is difficult for scientists to estimate its numbers and follow the population dynamics. At least in the International Red Book, the conservation status of the anaconda is listed in the “threat not assessed” category ( English Not Evaluated, NE) - due to lack of data. But in general, apparently, the anaconda can still be considered out of danger. There are many anacondas in the zoos of the world, but they take root in captivity quite difficult. The maximum life span of an anaconda in a terrarium is 28 years, but these snakes usually live 5-6 years in captivity.

Lifestyle

Anaconda leads an almost completely aquatic lifestyle. It keeps in quiet, low-flowing branches of rivers, backwaters, oxbow lakes and lakes of the Amazon and Orinoco basins.

In such reservoirs, the snake lies in wait for prey. She never crawls far from the water, although she often crawls ashore and basks in the sun, sometimes climbing onto the lower branches of trees. Anaconda swims and dives perfectly and can remain under water for a long time, while its nostrils are closed with special valves.

When the reservoir dries up, the anaconda crawls into another or descends downstream of the river. During the dry period, which occurs in some habitats of the anaconda, the snake burrows into the bottom silt and falls into a stupor, in which it remains until the rains resume.

Frequent cases of cannibalism have been noted in anacondas.

Most of the time, anacondas are kept alone, but gather in groups during the mating season, which is timed to coincide with the start of the rains and falls in the Amazon in April-May. During this period, males find females along the odorous trail on the ground, guided by the smell of pheromones emitted by the female. It is believed that anacondas release substances that attract a partner into the air, but this issue requires further research. During the mating period, one can observe how several highly excited males dart around one calmly lying female. Like many other snakes, anacondas at the same time stray into a ball of several intertwined individuals. When mating, the male wraps around the body of the female, using the rudiments of the hind limbs for adhesion (as all prolegs do). During this ritual, a characteristic grinding sound is heard.

The female bears offspring for 6-7 months. During gestation, she loses a lot of weight, often losing weight by almost half. Anaconda is ovoviviparous. The female brings from 28 to 42 serpents (apparently, their number can reach up to 100) 50-80 cm long, but occasionally can lay eggs.

An adult anaconda has practically no enemies in nature; occasionally, however, not very large anacondas are eaten by a jaguar or large caimans. Juveniles in the mass die from a variety of predators.

Subspecies

• Eunectes murinus murinus- type subspecies, lives in the Amazon basin within Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru
• Eunectes murinus gigas- common in northern Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago.

These two subspecies were described long ago - in 1758 and 1801, respectively. They were distinguished by color details and average sizes, which are slightly larger in the second subspecies.

It is currently believed that the giant anaconda does not form subspecies.

Other species of the genus Eunectes

southern anaconda

In the genus of anacondas, 3 more species of snakes are known that are closely related to the common anaconda:

• South, or Paraguayan, also known as yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), native to Paraguay, southern Bolivia, and northern Argentina.

This snake is extremely similar in lifestyle to the common anaconda, but much smaller in size - its length does not exceed 3 m. The main difference in its color is the absence of bright eyes in the side spots. The southern anaconda is rather small in number, and therefore it rarely enters zoos. In captivity, she eats fish and small animals. As for reproduction, one case is known in captivity, when a female, 9 months after mating, brought 8 kites 55-60 cm long.

• Eunectes deschauenseei, found in the northeast of Brazil and Guyana (scientifically described with emphasis in separate view in 1936). The color of this snake is dark spotted, reticulated.

Eunectes notaeus

• Eunectes beniensis- opened quite recently, in 2002, in the upper reaches of the Beni River. Poorly studied.

legends about anaconda

Often in the descriptions of various "eyewitnesses" information is given about anacondas of monstrous length. It was not only dilettantes who sinned with this information. The famous British traveler in South America P. Fawcett wrote about snakes of incredible size, one of which he allegedly shot with his own hand:

“We went ashore and cautiously approached the snake ... As accurately as possible, we measured its length: in that part of the body that protrudes from the water, it turned out forty-five feet and another seventeen feet were in the water, which together was sixty-two feet. Her body was not thick with such a colossal length - no more than twelve inches ... Such large specimens as this one are rarely found, but the tracks they leave in the swamps are sometimes six feet wide and testify in favor of those Indians who claim that anacondas sometimes reach incredible sizes, so that the specimen I shot should look just like a dwarf next to them! .. I was told about a snake killed on the Paraguay River and exceeding eighty feet in length! (62 feet = 18.9 m; 80 feet = 24.4 m; 12 inches = 30.5 cm)

Colonel Percy Fawcett (1867-1925), famous connoisseur South America, who nevertheless left dubious descriptions of the anaconda

Now, without exception, all such stories are fiction (especially since Colonel Fawcett cited many other undeniably false information in his notes). Strictly speaking, even the aforementioned 11.43 m long specimen was not fully documented, and in any case, it was apparently unique in length. It is very significant that at the beginning of the 20th century in the United States, twice - once by President Theodore Roosevelt and the second time - by the New York Zoological Society, a prize of $ 5 thousand was announced for an anaconda longer than 30 feet (slightly more than 9 m), but so remained unclaimed.

A value greater than 12 meters for a snake is meaningless, at least from a purely biological point of view. Even a 7-8-meter anaconda can already overcome almost any beast of the selva. Too much growth will be energetically unjustified - in the conditions of a tropical rain forest relatively poor in large animals, it is excessively big snake just can't feed himself.

Just as fantastic are stories about the anaconda's hypnotic gaze, which allegedly paralyzes the victim, or about its poisonous breath, which has a detrimental effect on small animals. The same P. Fossett, for example, wrote:

“... a sharp fetid breath emanated from her; they say it has a stunning effect: the smell first attracts, and then paralyzes the victim.

Nothing like this modern science, including taking into account the extensive experience of keeping anacondas in zoos, does not recognize. However, the fact is that a strong unpleasant odor comes from the anaconda.

Anaconda and man

Anacondas are often found near settlements. Domestic animals - pigs, dogs, chickens, etc. - often become the prey of this snake. But the danger of the anaconda to humans, apparently, is greatly exaggerated. Single attacks on people are made by the anaconda, apparently by mistake, when the snake sees only part of the human body under water, or if it seems to her that they want to attack her or take away her prey. The only reliable case - the death of a 13-year-old Indian boy swallowed by an anaconda - should be considered the rarest exception. Another recent [ when?], the case of the death of an adult is hardly reliable. On the contrary, the anaconda itself often becomes the prey of the natives. The meat of this snake is valued by many Indian tribes; They say that it is very good, slightly sweet in taste. Anaconda skin is used for various crafts.

Notes

1. Anaconda- article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (Retrieved August 17, 2011)
2. // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
3. Zenkevich L. A. Animal life. Vertebrates. Vol. 4, part 2: Amphibians, Reptiles. - M.: Enlightenment, 1969. - 487 p., p. 339.
4. Ananyeva N. B., Borkin L. Ya., Darevsky I. S., Orlov N. L. Five-language dictionary of animal names. Amphibians and reptiles. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / under the general editorship of acad. V. E. Sokolova. - M .: Rus. yaz., 1988. - S. 275. - 10,500 copies. - ISBN 5-200-00232-X
5. Kudryavtsev S. V., Frolov V. E., Korolev A. V. Terrarium and its inhabitants (review of species and keeping in captivity). / Ed. W. E. Flint. - M.: timber industry, 1991. - S. 317. - 349 p. - ISBN 5-7120-018-2
6. Systematic list of vertebrates in zoological collections as of 01.01.2011 // Information collection Eurasian Regional Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Issue. 30. Interved. collection. scientific and scientific method. tr. - M.: Moscow Zoo, 2011. - S. 304. - 570 p. - UDC: 59.006 - ISBN 978-5-904012-09-0
7. Darevsky I. S., Orlov N. L. Rare and endangered animals. Amphibians and reptiles / ed. V. E. Sokolova. - M .: Higher. school, 1988. - S. 338. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-06-001429-0

There are many myths and legends about the giant anaconda, and it is sometimes difficult to determine where the truth ends and fiction begins. And it’s all to blame for the huge size of this snake, as well as the inaccessibility of habitats and the hidden lifestyle of the animal.

The giant anaconda has a number of other names: green or common anaconda, as well as water boa.

Description, vernal view of the anaconda

It is interesting! The first official mention of the anaconda in work of art 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 angry green eyes. She was subsequently killed, and a whole fawn was found in her stomach.

Anaconda is a world fauna, with females growing much larger than males. According to the most reliable and verified information, the usual length of this snake does not exceed 4-5 meters. 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. But such sizes are rather an exception to the rule, and stories about caught 11-meter anacondas are nothing more than hunting stories. The case of the capture of a giant anaconda 11 m 40 cm long, described in 1944, is also classified by modern scientists as myths and believe that the size of the snake was greatly exaggerated.

The body of the anaconda is pale greenish in color, covered over the entire surface with light brown oval spots, on the sides they alternate with a number of round grayish-yellow marks with a dark edging. This color is an ideal camouflage in dense tropical thickets among fallen leaves and snags. AT aquatic environment this coloring also helps the anaconda track down prey and hide from enemies among seaweed and stones.

The body of the anaconda consists of a spine and a tail, and the ribs of the snake are very flexible and elastic and can strongly bend and straighten when swallowing large prey. The bones of the skull are also elastic, interconnected by soft ligaments that allow the head to stretch and allow the anaconda to swallow a large animal. The tongue, like all snakes, is incredibly sensitive and mobile, it plays an important role in learning environment and communication. Hard and dry scales cover the body like armor, protecting it from enemies. To the touch, the scales are smooth and slippery, which makes the capture of the anaconda very challenging task . Anaconda sheds her skin at a time with a solid "stocking", for this she actively rubs against stones and driftwood.

Habitat

Anaconda lives in the humid tropics and waters of South America. Its greatest number is in Venezuela, Paraguay, Bolivia and Paraguay. Also, the anaconda can often be found in the jungles of Guiana, Guyana and Peru, but due to the fact that the reptile leads a very secretive and inconspicuous way of life, its number has so far only an approximate value. Therefore, it is still a problem for scientists to accurately count the number of anacondas in a particular region. 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 lives in many public and private zoos in the world, but to create comfortable conditions it is very difficult for breeding and therefore snakes rarely live up to 20 years in captivity, and average duration life in zoos is short: 7–10 years.

Anaconda is an aquatic inhabitant and lives in quiet and warm waters backwaters, rivers and streams. It can also often be found in small lakes in the Amazon basin. Anacondas spend most of their lives in or near water, lying on rocks or in dense tropical thickets, stalking their prey among leaves and snags. Sometimes likes to bask in sunshine on a hill, occasionally climbs trees. In case of danger, it hides in the nearest body of water and can be under water for a very long time. long time. During the dry period, when rivers and canals dry up, anacondas are able to burrow into the silt and coastal soil, being motionless until the onset of the rainy season.

It is interesting! The structure of the head of this giant snake, its nostrils and eyes are not located on the sides, but on top, and when tracking down prey, the anaconda hides under water, leaving them on the surface. The same property helps to escape from enemies. Diving to a depth, this snake closes its nostrils with special valves.

In spite of giant size, the anaconda often becomes a victim of a jaguar or caiman, and a wounded snake can attract the attention of a flock of piranhas, which can also attack a weakened animal.

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.

It is important! An adult man is able to cope alone with an anaconda, the length of which does not exceed 2-3 meters. 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. There is a widespread myth that these snakes are able to put a person into a state of hypnosis, this is not true. Like most pythons, the anaconda is not poisonous, but nevertheless its bite can be very painful and dangerous to humans.

Since time immemorial, there have been many myths and legends that describe the anaconda as a predator that often attacks humans. The only officially recorded case of an attack on a person is an attack on a child from an Indian tribe, which can be considered an accident. When a person is in the water, the snake does not see him completely and can easily be mistaken for a capybara or a deer cub. 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.

The famous English zoologist Gerald Durrell describes his hunting for the anaconda and describes it not as a formidable predator, but an animal that defended itself poorly 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". Once in captivity, the snake behaved rather calmly, moving weakly in the bag and hissing softly. Perhaps she was small and very frightened, which easily explains such a "peaceful" behavior.

Food

Anaconda hunts in the water or on the shore, suddenly attacking its prey. It usually feeds on mammals and small reptiles. Agouti rodents, large waterfowl and fish often fall prey to the giant python. Larger anacondas can easily swallow a caiman or capybara, but this does not happen often. A hungry anaconda may, on rare occasions, prey on turtles and other snakes. There is a known case when an anaconda attacked a two-meter python in a zoo.

This huge snake able to sit in ambush for long hours, waiting for the right moment. When the victim approaches the minimum distance, the anaconda makes a lightning throw, clings to the victim and wraps around it with a steel grip of a muscular body. Despite popular belief, these snakes, like pythons, do not break the bones of their prey, but strangle it, gradually squeezing chest and lungs. Often the anaconda creeps into villages and attacks small livestock, even domestic dogs and cats can become its victims. Among anacondas, cases of cannibalism are known, when adults attack young ones.

reproduction

Anacondas lead a solitary lifestyle and gather in several individuals only for the breeding season.. Usually this time falls on the wet rainy season, which in the Amazon Valley begins in late April. The female marks her tracks with a special substance that contains pheromones and attracts sexually mature males. Several adult animals huddle around the female in a huge pile, hiss and arrange battles. When mating, like other snakes, anacondas twist into a tight ball, and the male covers and holds the female with special rudiments, making specific creaky sounds. Since several males participate in mating at once, it still remains unexplored which of them she prefers, the largest, the youngest, or the one who was the first to “date”.

It is interesting! The fact that before mating the female eats intensively, since after the onset of pregnancy she will not be able to hunt for more than six months. The period of drought can last for a very long time and the pregnant female actively seeks shelter protected from the sun with the remnants of life-giving moisture.

Usually pregnancy lasts 7 months, after which the female gives birth to up to 40 cubs.. Anaconda belongs to viviparous snakes and after giving birth, along with living offspring, it throws out undeveloped embryos and eats them along with dead cubs, thereby providing itself with some energy until the time when it can go hunting again. After birth, small anacondas are already completely independent and will soon spread out in search of small prey. Most of the kids die, becoming a victim small predators and crocodiles, but up to half of the offspring can reach adulthood.

Anaconda Enemies

The anaconda has many enemies, and the main ones among them are caimans, who also live in rivers and channels and lead a similar lifestyle. Also, cougars and jaguars often hunt the anaconda, often young or weakened animals during the drought period, as well as males that have lost their strength after mating, often fall prey to predators. But the main enemy of the anaconda remains a man who preys on giant snakes for fun and entertainment. The skin of the anaconda is also highly valued by tourists, making it attractive to poachers.

It is interesting! A small Paraguayan anaconda can be bought from private sellers, its price depends on the size and is 10-20 thousand rubles.

Leaving the city of Antioch for Cartagena, when we settled it, Captain Jorge Robledo and others found so many fish that we killed with sticks what we would like to catch ... In addition, very large snakes are found in the thickets. I want to tell and narrate something that is authentically known, although I did not see it [himself], but there were many contemporaries who were trustworthy, and this is what it is: when, on the orders of the licentiate of Santa Cruz, Lieutenant Juan Creciano passed along this road in search of Licentiate Juan de Vadillo, leading with him some Spaniards, among whom were a certain Manuel de Peralta, Pedro de Barros, and Pedro Shimon, they stumbled upon a snake or snake, so large that it was 20 feet long, and very fat. His head is light red, and fearsome green eyes, and since he saw them, he wanted to go towards them, but Pedro Shimon inflicted such a wound on him with a spear that even though he came into an [indescribable] rage, [still ] died. And they found in his belly a whole fawn [tapir?], as he was when he ate it; I will say [also] that some hungry Spaniards began to eat the deer and even part of the snake.

Appearance

Anaconda is the most massive snake of the modern world fauna. Females are much larger and stronger than males. There are many previous reports of anacondas 9 or 11 meters long, but animals of this size have never been measured, and all these reports are, by their very nature, highly unreliable.

The famous Swedish naturalist Georg Dahl in his book Wild Roads (1969; Russian translation 1972) talks about his capture of an anaconda 8.43 m long on the Guayabero River in the jungles of Colombia.

Another Swedish naturalist, Ralph Blomberg, in his book Giant Serpents and Terrible Lizards, referring to the data of Clifford Pope, mentions a specimen of an anaconda 28 feet long, i.e. 8.54 m.

The largest of the female anacondas caught in Venezuela reached 97.5 kg with a length of 5.21 meters, despite the fact that at least 780 individuals passed through the hands of scientists. However, the maximum that anacondas can reach is estimated at 6.7 m in total length, or 5.3 m in length excluding tail according to various studies- slightly higher than the dimensions of the largest samples that fell into the hands of scientists. The minimum size of anacondas capable of breeding out of 780 individuals was 2.1 m, excluding the tail.

The main body color of the anaconda is grayish-green with two rows of large brown spots of a rounded or oblong shape, alternating in a checkerboard pattern. On the sides of the body there is a row of yellow spots of a smaller size, surrounded by black rings. This coloring effectively hides the snake when it lurks in still water covered with brown leaves and tufts of algae.

Due to the inaccessibility of anaconda habitats, it is difficult for scientists to estimate its numbers and follow the population dynamics. At least in the International Red Book, the conservation status of the anaconda is listed in the “threat not assessed” category ( English Not Evaluated, NE) - due to lack of data. But in general, apparently, the anaconda can still be considered out of danger. There are many anacondas in the zoos of the world, but they take root in captivity quite difficult. The maximum life span of an anaconda in a terrarium is 28 years, but these snakes usually live 5-6 years in captivity.

Lifestyle

Anaconda leads an almost completely aquatic lifestyle. It keeps in quiet, low-flowing branches of rivers, backwaters, oxbow lakes and lakes of the Amazon and Orinoco basins.

In such reservoirs, the snake lies in wait for prey. She never crawls far from the water, although she often crawls ashore and basks in the sun, sometimes climbing onto the lower branches of trees. Anaconda swims and dives perfectly and can remain under water for a long time, while its nostrils are closed with special valves.

When the reservoir dries up, the anaconda crawls into another or descends downstream of the river. During the dry period, which occurs in some habitats of the anaconda, the snake burrows into the bottom silt and falls into a stupor, in which it remains until the rains resume.

Food

The anaconda feeds on various mammals and reptiles, lying in wait for them near the water. She usually catches agoutis, waterfowl, iguanas and other small animals. Less commonly, larger individuals are capable of attacking peccaries, capybaras, and caimans. For lunch, anacondas often come across turtles, tegus, as well as snakes - at least once in the zoo, an anaconda strangled and ate a 2.5-meter python. Fish occupies a much smaller place in the diet of the anaconda than the small four-legged inhabitants of the selva. Like all boas, the anaconda motionlessly waits for prey, and when it approaches, it grabs it with a lightning throw and strangles it, wrapping it with body rings (contrary to popular belief, the anaconda, like other boas, does not crush the victim and does not break her bones, but compresses her and does not lets her breathe, and she dies of suffocation). Anaconda swallows prey whole, while greatly stretching the mouth and throat.

Frequent cases of cannibalism have been noted in anacondas.

Predation

An adult anaconda has practically no enemies in nature; sometimes, however, even a large anaconda can fall prey to a puma, a jaguar, a family of giant otters, an Orinoco crocodile, or a black caiman. Most often, anacondas are predated by crocodile caimans, with which they occupy similar biotopes. Caimans usually prey on baby anacondas, as well as males weakened after mating. But at the same time, successful attacks and killings by adult males were recorded. crocodile caimans large female anacondas.

Subspecies

• Eunectes murinus murinus- type subspecies, lives in the Amazon basin within Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru
• Eunectes murinus gigas- common in northern Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago.

These two subspecies were described long ago - in 1758 and 1801, respectively. They were distinguished by color details and average sizes, which are slightly larger in the second subspecies.

It is currently believed that the giant anaconda does not form subspecies.

legends about anaconda

Often in the descriptions of various "eyewitnesses" information is given about anacondas of monstrous length. It was not only dilettantes who sinned with this information. The famous British traveler in South America, P. Fawcett, wrote about snakes of incredible size, one of which he allegedly shot with his own hand:

“We went ashore and cautiously approached the snake ... As accurately as possible, we measured its length: in that part of the body that protrudes from the water, it turned out forty-five feet and another seventeen feet were in the water, which together was sixty-two feet.

Her body was not thick with such a colossal length - no more than twelve inches ... Such large specimens as this one are rare, but the tracks they leave in the marshes are sometimes six feet wide and testify in favor of those Indians who claim that anacondas sometimes reach incredible sizes, so that the specimen I shot should look just like a dwarf next to them! .. I was told about a snake killed on the Paraguay River and exceeding eighty feet in length! (62 feet = 18.9 m; 80 feet = 24.4 m; 12 inches = 30.5 cm)

Now, without exception, all such stories are fiction (especially since Colonel Fawcett cited many other undeniably false information in his notes). Even mentioned many times in various sources a specimen 11.43 m long was not documented according to all the rules and is considered unreliable by most experts, especially considering the fact that the mass of this snake is indicated in the region of 200 kg, while an animal of this size should have weighed a little less than a ton. In general, female anacondas do not often grow larger than 4 meters. It is very significant that at the beginning of the 20th century in the United States, twice - once by President Theodore Roosevelt and the second time - by the New York Zoological Society, a prize of $5,000 was announced for any snake longer than 30 feet (a little more than 9 m), but and remained unclaimed.

A value greater than 8 meters for a snake is meaningless, at least from a purely biological point of view. Despite the fact that the anaconda occupies a slightly different ecological niche, even a 6-7-meter snake could overcome almost any herbivorous animal of the selva. Too much growth will be energetically unjustified - in the conditions of a humid tropical forest relatively poor in large animals, an excessively large snake simply will not feed itself and it will be more difficult for it to hide from large predators.

Just as fantastic are stories about the anaconda's hypnotic gaze, which allegedly paralyzes the victim, or about its poisonous breath, which has a detrimental effect on small animals. The same P. Fossett, for example, wrote:

“... a sharp fetid breath emanated from her; they say it has a stunning effect: the smell first attracts, and then paralyzes the victim.

Modern science does not recognize anything like this, including taking into account the extensive experience of keeping anacondas in zoos. However, the fact is that a strong unpleasant odor comes from the anaconda.

Anaconda and man

Anacondas are often found near settlements. Domestic animals - pigs, dogs, chickens, etc. - often become the prey of this snake. But the danger of the anaconda to humans, apparently, is greatly exaggerated. Single attacks on people are made by the anaconda, apparently by mistake, when the snake sees only part of the human body under water, or if it seems to her that they want to attack her or take away her prey. The only reliable case - the death of a 13-year-old Indian boy swallowed by an anaconda - should be considered the rarest exception. On the contrary, the anaconda itself often becomes the prey of the natives. The meat of this snake is valued by many Indian tribes; They say that it is very good, slightly sweet in taste. Anaconda skin is used for various crafts.

Notes

1. Anaconda // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978. (Retrieved August 17, 2011)
2. //

The green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) belongs to the squamous order, the reptile class.

Spread of the green anaconda.

The green anaconda is found in the tropics of South America. It is distributed in the Orinoco River basin in eastern Colombia, in the Amazon River basin in Brazil, and in the seasonally flooded llanos - savannahs of Venezuela. Lives in Paraguay, Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia. Found in Guyana, Guiana, Suriname, Peru and Trinidad. Small populations of the green anaconda have been found in Florida.

Habitat of the green anaconda.

The green anaconda is a semi-aquatic snake that inhabits small, slow moving fresh water and swampy places located among tropical savannas, meadows and forests.

External signs of a green anaconda.

The green anaconda belongs to one of the 4 types of constrictors, which differ from other snakes in the absence of supraorbital bones in the skull roof. She has an external horny claw, which is the posterior remnant of the limbs, which is especially pronounced in males than in females.

The green anaconda has a forked tongue, which it uses to find its prey, its relatives, and helps to navigate in the environment, in combination with Jacobson's tubular organ.

The coloration of the green anaconda is usually a dark olive green above, which gradually changes to a yellow tint in the ventral region.

Round brown spots stand out on the back, with blurry black borders, they are scattered in the middle of the back of the body. Like other Eunectes species, green anaconda has narrow ventral scutes and small, smooth dorsal scales. The size of the plates on the front of their body is large, compared to the size of the plates on the back end. The skin of snakes is soft, loose, and can withstand long periods of being in the water. The green anaconda has nostrils and small eyes that are located on the top of the head. The snake is also distinguished by a prominent black post-orbital stripe that runs from the eye to the angle of the jaw.

Green anaconda - refers to the longest snakes in the world, having a length of 10 to 12 meters and a weight of up to 250 kg. Females tend to reach greater mass and length than males, males have an average body length of 3 meters, and females are more than 6 meters. The sex of the green anaconda can also be determined by the size of the spur located in the cloaca. Males have larger spurs (7.5 millimeters) than females, regardless of its length.

Reproduction of the green anaconda.

Green anacondas breed at about 3-4 years of age.

Mating takes place during the dry season, from March to May, males find females.

Males may collide with each other when trying to overcome a rival, but such competitions rarely occur. After mating, the female often destroys one of her partners, as she does not feed during this period for up to seven months. This behavior can be useful for bearing offspring. The males then usually leave the females and return to their home ranges. Green anacondas are ovoviviparous snakes and carry eggs for 7 months. Females give birth in shallow water in the evening at the end of the wet season. They bring between 20 and 82 young snakes and breed every year. Young anacondas immediately become independent. AT natural environment habitat this species lives on average ten years. In captivity longer, more than thirty years.

Features of the behavior of the green anaconda.

The green anaconda easily adapts to environmental changes. At adverse conditions, snakes burrow into the mud. In this case, they wait out a dry period of time. Anacondas that live near rivers hunt throughout the year, they are active in the early evening. At the same time, they are able to move long distances in short periods of time, especially during the annual dry season and during the breeding season.

Green anacondas have clearly certain places a habitat. During the dry season, the habitat area is reduced to 0.25 km2. During the wet season, snakes occupy vast areas of 0.35 km2.

Feeding the green anaconda.

Green anacondas are predators, they attack any prey they can swallow. feed on various types terrestrial and aquatic vertebrates: fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. They catch small caimans, small birds weighing 40-70 grams.

Adult snakes expand their food intake as they develop and feed on larger prey, the weight of which is in the range from 14% to 50% of the reptile's own weight.

Green anacondas eat capybaras, turtles. snakes exposed high risk swallowing big booty which often results in serious injury or even death. Some green anacondas also feed on carrion, which is picked up in the water. Sometimes a large female green anaconda will eat the male. big anacondas can go without food from a week to a month, especially after a heavy meal, due to low metabolism. However, females feed heavily after the birth of offspring. Green anacondas are secretive ambush hunters. Their body coloration provides effective camouflage, allowing them to remain virtually invisible even with close range. Green anacondas attack at any time of the day, holding their prey with sharp, curved teeth that provide a secure grip, and kill the victim by squeezing it with their body. Resistance only increases the compression, the snake compresses the rings until the victim stops moving altogether. Death occurs as a result of respiratory arrest and circulatory failure. The snake then slowly releases the immobilized victim from its embrace and absorbs it from the head. This method allows you to reduce the resistance of the limbs when the prey is swallowed whole.

Significance for a person.

The green anaconda is a valuable commercial trade item for the indigenous people of Brazil and Peru. National legends attribute to these snakes magical properties therefore, reptile organs are sold for ritual purposes. Fat of green anacondas is used as a medicine against rheumatism, inflammation, infection, for the treatment of asthma, thrombosis.

Large green anacondas can easily cope with a person. However, they rarely attack due to the low population density where they usually live.

The conservation status of the green anaconda.

Potential Threats to the Green Anaconda: Exotic Animal Capture and Habitat Conversion. This species is listed in CITES Appendix II. Society for the Protection wildlife and the Convention Governing Trade in Endangered Species launched the Green Anaconda Project to better understand potential threats to the existence of this species. The green anaconda has no conservation status on the IUCN Red List.

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Almost 10 meters long and under three centners in weight. All this is the largest anaconda snake. The 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) - the heaviest snake in the world, and a "good swimmer".

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

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

Fiction and reality

Thank you Hollywood and Jennifer Lopez. Today famous movie Probably only a very lazy person did not watch "Anaconda". In that film, the snake is represented by a terrible man-eating monster. In fact, this is very far from reality. As well as attacking a person from the top of the trees. Anacondas are too heavy for such 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 stand for?

Eunectes is Greek for "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 most big snake worldwide. The average length of her body can reach 10 m. The weight of these creeps is up to 250 kg. The parameters of the largest anaconda that was caught by a man were: 11 m 43 cm.

What is an anaconda?

Her body is painted brownish-green with brownish spots. Anacondas live in tropical forests in the south of America. They are comfortable in moist riverine forests and swamps, where the most best places to have a great hunt. Boa constrictor anaconda most He spends his time in ponds, camouflaging himself in grey-green waters where brown leaves and algae float. In such places, the snake is hardly noticeable and, hiding, awaits a victim going to a watering hole.

Looks like quite a cute face

Anaconda is absolutely not poisonous snake. Its main weapon is the ability to choke prey by wrapping itself around it in numerous rings. She grabs the prey sharp teeth, twists around her with his body, tightening the chest of the animal until it stops breathing. After this procedure, the anaconda turns the prey with its head towards itself and swallows it, "putting on" the victim's carcass in the form of a stocking.

Anacondas have another feature. Due to the presence of nasal valves on the muzzle, it can dive under water. The snake preys on various medium-sized ungulates, and also feeds on waterfowl, pets that raided the watering hole.

Anaconda - classification.

• Suborder: Snakes
• Family: pseudopods
• Subfamily: boas
• Type: Eunectes

The most important difference between the anaconda and the boas 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 can be too tough for it. However, there are documents in which there are attested cases of a teenager being killed by a snake. Amazon hunters, as soon as they see an anaconda, do not lose the opportunity to kill it.