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 life cycle, the first years are especially intensive, and when mature, they grow 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 around 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, waterfowl, 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 weakly defended itself 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 is the largest reptile that lives on the planet. These huge snakes cause, if not panic fear, then outright panic. The weight of 150 kilograms and the length of 10 meters are not fantastic fragments from an adventure book, these are real facts. What is the largest anaconda in the world today recorded, and what reward awaits the brave man who caught a snake more than 10 meters?
Giants of the Animal World: Descendants of Ancient Serpents
Ancient books mention powerful and great snakes that can swallow a person and even digest a healthy bull. Evolutionary biologists are still arguing about the origin of reptiles.
Some believe that the snake originated from reptiles, while others refute this fact, expressing an opinion about the relationship between the snake known today and the ancient water descendant. The huge ancient fossils displayed in museums are comparable to the size of a school bus. The findings and assumptions of many biologists and scientists are still the subject of controversy and hypotheses that are still waiting for scientific confirmation or refutation.
Mysteries of the big size: what is known about anacondas today?
Thanks to existing facts, myths turn into a frightening reality. A deadly predator with powerful musculature, a forked tongue for tracking prey, and strong, recurved teeth for grasping food, this is the largest carnivorous reptile on the planet, the anaconda.
The snake's habitat is the hard-to-reach places of Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Paraguay. The low-flowing places of the Amazon River and the lakes of the Orinoco Basin provide anacondas with the opportunity to catch even cattle. Snakes are aquatic, but can easily move on land.
The lack of information and little knowledge of the existing population of snakes does not provide an opportunity to more accurately establish some facts: how many individuals live in the world, what is their life expectancy in the wild, and how realistic are the statements about the existence of individuals larger than 20 meters. It is known that females are three times larger than males, their size and mass allows them to capture larger prey, and the eaten porcupine can be digested for about a week.
Three types of anacondas are known:
- giant anaconda;
- ordinary;
- green.
The snake lies in wait for the victim, as a rule, near the reservoir. Favorite treats are iguanas, waterfowl and turtles. Cases of cannibalism for a snake are a characteristic feature. In the zoo, the anaconda strangled and ate a 3-meter python, which was with her in the same terrarium.
Anaconda and man
Man and his way of life attracts reptiles. Cases are recorded when the female showed interest in small children, dogs and pets. The reptile is considered dangerous when meeting a person in the water. Here her agility and strength doubles. While on land, the anaconda is quite apathetic relative to humans. Cases when an anaconda attacks a person are rare and are considered the exception rather than the pattern. When meeting a person, the anaconda opens its large mouth, trying to scare. The snake perceives a person as a predator, not food.
The cases of the meeting of a man and an anaconda, described in books, are classified as "legends". Since there are no reliable facts and documents confirming the existence of a snake more than 10 meters. A common story, described in detail in books, concerns 1944, when an anaconda measuring 11 meters and 43 centimeters was caught by geologists in the jungles of Colombia. So far, no reptiles with the indicated sizes have been found. A special award of $50,000 (established in America) awaits the brave man who will catch and deliver an anaconda larger than 9 meters and 12 centimeters.
Huge death machine - South American anaconda
The impact force of the anaconda is like that of a heavyweight boxer, a group of powerful muscles that wrap around the victim and kill without the slightest drop of poison. The victim dies of suffocation. The main advantage of the reptile is its weight and muscles, wrapping itself around the victim, the snake does not allow breathing. After the anaconda feels that the victim has been suffocated, it is time to eat. Large and curved teeth swallow and push food, and the pharynx of the reptile at the time of swallowing is stretched to an impressive size.
The largest anaconda in the world resides today at the Zoological Society of New York. Length and weight are listed in: 9 meters long and 130 kg live weight. Claims of capturing a specimen larger than 15 meters today have no confirmation. In nature, there are anacondas 4-5 meters long. Large reptiles are rare.
Weaknesses of a fearsome reptile
The natural habitat for anacondas is ponds with large thickets. Here the prey is hunted, stocking up on the necessary amount of fat for bearing offspring. Increased appetite is characteristic of the anaconda in the premarital period. The female absorbs a large amount of food, because during pregnancy (7 months) she will not eat food. Bearing offspring for some snakes ends tragically: death from starvation at the end of the term is a frequent occurrence.
The process of eating food is also considered a dangerous moment for the life of a reptile. Indeed, at this moment the snake is defenseless against a potential enemy, and if another predator sees it during the period of ingestion of food, most likely, the snake itself will become a victim. If we take into account such a distinctive feature as the duration of ingestion for more than 5 hours, then there is plenty of time for the snake to be swallowed by a predator. The reptile becomes a victim of an attack by a jaguar, caiman or a flock of piranhas in a pond.
Queen snake: interesting facts
Anaconda is the snake that until the 20th century was considered little studied. Scientists, trying to find out some features of the life and activity of the reptile, moved for several years to live in places of its accumulation. Each new fact is news in the world of science.
Today, the following is known about the anaconda:
- the female is larger and stronger than the male;
- scientific name - Eunectes;
- anaconda - the most "water-loving" snake;
- the snake strangles the victim until it feels the beats of the heart;
- teeth serve as a means to capture the victim, the main power of the reptile is its muscles;
- females give birth to live fry while other reptiles lay eggs;
- the number of descendants - 25-30 pieces;
- from one brood up to a year, only 20-30% of individuals survive;
- at the beginning of the mating season, the female anaconda spreads a scent in the air that attracts the male;
- eyes and nostrils are located at the top of the head;
- growth does not stop throughout life;
- life expectancy in captivity - 5 years, in nature - 35-40;
- acids are able to dissolve even large bones;
- after defecation of the reptile, it is impossible to make out which animal was eaten.
The largest anaconda in the world, which was caught and measured by a person, is not considered an indicator. After all, it is known that the length of a reptile in the wild can reach 15 meters or more. The facts known to scientists every year change the understanding of the real parameters of this giant. Perhaps in a few years a new record for the longest snake in the world will be set. After all, climatic changes on the planet and a decrease in the number of reservoirs only contribute to the growth of this population. Every year the length of the anaconda increases.
Anaconda (water boa) - 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 around 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 significant 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.
According to legends and foreign cinema anaconda- an incredibly huge and dangerous snake. Surprisingly, it is not uncommon to hear from people about the size of the anaconda, exceeding their true size by two to three times. This, of course, is all fairy tales and fictions, once transferred as official data. Everything is much more modest, the anaconda is indeed the largest snake, but only statistically. She is also quite calm and such large prey as a person does not interest her.
Origin of the species and description
Anacondas belong to the subfamily of boas of the false-legged family, scaly order, reptile class. Experts are increasingly inclined to the absence of subspecies in the common anaconda. According to other sources, four varieties of anaconda are still distinguished, each of which differs slightly in size, color and habitat.
- Giant anaconda;
- Paraguayan;
- Deshauerskaya;
- Anaconda Eunectes beniensis.
Anaconda, like boas, has a small head, but the body is somewhat more massive, it even looks disproportionate. The length of the snake can reach 5 - 6 meters, but not 9 - 11 or 20, as mentioned in some sources. The maximum weight is supposedly 130 kg, in most cases it is even far from a hundred.
These snakes are considered potentially dangerous to humans because they are able to swallow prey almost equal in weight to themselves. If a snake weighs under a hundred, then it will not be difficult to swallow a person and digest him. But still, he is large and smart for a snake, and all known cases of attacks on humans indicate that this happened by mistake.
Appearance and features
Anaconda is the largest snake, and in length it is inferior to the reticulated python, but in terms of weight it is the largest. It is interesting to note that the females of these snakes are larger than the males. The maximum measured length of the anaconda was 5.4 meters, with a weight of 100 kg. But in nature, there are probably individuals a little larger. According to experts, anacondas can reach a length of 6.7 meters and a weight of 130 kg.
The average length of the snake is 3-4 meters, and the weight is 50-70 kg. The diameter of the reptile reaches 35 cm, swallowing the victim is stretched to the desired size. Snakes grow all their lives, the first years are much more intense than after, but it can be safely assumed that the largest individuals are of a respectable age.
Video: Anaconda
The head is small compared to the body, but the open mouth is huge and capable of stretching, like the pharynx. This allows the anaconda to pay less attention to the volume of the victim. The teeth are short, they can bite painfully. But the fangs are absent, if the victim is swallowed, they would only interfere. Saliva is harmless and there are no poisonous glands. The wound will be painful, but safe for life.
The color of the anaconda masks it against the background of its habitats. These are reservoirs, shallow water, tropics. The body color is close to marsh, gray-green. There are two rows of dark, brown, brown spots on the back. They are round or oblong up to 10 cm in diameter, solid color, alternate in a checkerboard pattern. And on the sides there are completely lighter stripes strewn with small spots. Sometimes the spots are hollow, like rings, or uneven circles. The diameter of these is from 1 to 3 cm. The back of the snake is often darker than the belly.
Where does the anaconda live?
The habitat of the anaconda is almost the entire mainland - South America, except for its southern part. Of course, the climate at all latitudes is not suitable for the snake to live, since it is already a very long stretch from north to south near the mainland. To the east of the Andes, countries such as Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, French Guiana serve as the habitat of the anaconda. Separately allocate the island of Trinidad.
If considered by subspecies, then the giant anaconda lives in all the tropics. Paraguayan respectively in Paraguay, as well as Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and northern Bolivia. Deshauer has only been seen in northern Brazil. And the subspecies Eunectes beniensis lives only in the tropics of Bolivia.
Anacondas prefer swamps, enclosed bodies of water, or calm, wide rivers. Snakes do not like a strong current; they prefer calmness to match their character. They can swim and stay under water for a long time. The structure of the nostrils includes special valves to block the flow of moisture into the respiratory tract.
Anacondas can dry on the shore or trees in the open sun, but they need moisture, they make sure that they are near a body of water. The rough surface of the belly in the form of scales helps them move on land. A powerful muscular body uses the friction of the outer cover and, thus, bending in every possible way, moves quickly.
If the reservoirs dry up, the snake cannot exist normally. To survive difficult times, she buries herself in the bottom of the former swamp, in silt and slush, and can become numb until better times.
What does the anaconda eat?
Thanks to the complex structure of the jaws and pharynx, equipped with elastic ligaments, the anaconda is able to swallow prey larger than it is. However, this is not always easy, and prey of such dimensions will not go into the mouth on its own. It happens the other way around - when trying to attack, for example, she herself becomes a victim. But the fact remains.
Nevertheless, the basis of the diet of the anaconda is made up of smaller living creatures, namely:
- small mammals (, capybaras, agoutis, even sheep and dogs near the agricultural area can become its prey);
- reptiles (frogs, iguanas, lizards);
- turtles;
- waterfowl;
- their own kind (pythons, and even smaller anacondas themselves);
- fish on rare occasions.
The hunt goes like this: the anaconda lurks in the water and watches the potential prey. Her eyes do not blink, for which people interpret her gaze as a process of hypnosis. At the right moment, the anaconda pounces on the victim with the whole body at once, without even using its teeth. Her body squeezes the animal's chest, preventing it from breathing, and can also break its bones.
Then she simply swallows her prey whole and digests it. Now she does not need to worry about her food for a week, or even months in advance. She will gradually be saturated and receive nutrients, slowly digesting the contents of the stomach in a passive lying position. Stomach acids are so strong that even bones are digested. The next time the anaconda wants to dine will not be soon.
Having such a powerful body, they absolutely do not need poison, because they are always able to crush a victim commensurate with themselves and without fatal bites. Also among the anacondas, cases of cannibalism are common.
Features of character and lifestyle
The nature of anacondas is very apathetic. They can lie for hours without moving at all. Sometimes it seems that they are not alive at all. Probably, in the wild, this is exactly what the calculation was made for, the anaconda merges with the environment and no one touches it. Like all snakes, anacondas periodically undergo molting. Then they need to make auxiliary movements. They curl and rub against the bottom and stones in the pond. The rind peels off entirely, is removed like a stocking and remains in the water. The renewed snake continues its life in a new skin.
Anacondas cannot exist without moisture. Of course, it happens that they crawl out to lie in the sun or wrap around a tree trunk, but soon they calmly return to their familiar environment. If the snakes see that their pond is drying up, then they are looking for another one. Often they follow the current to greater depths of the rivers. During the drought period, anacondas burrow into the mud, looking for a cooler place with plenty of water. There they can go into a torpor for months before the rains come and the rivers fill.
Anacondas are so quiet animals that if you do not look for them specifically, you may not find them. Perhaps that is why they were singled out as a separate species only at the end of the 20th century. From the sounds they make only a faint hiss. The lifespan of anacondas is not exactly known. They have been shown to have a low survival rate in captivity. Terrariums are able to keep anacondas alive for 5 to 6 years. It is clear that in the natural habitat this period is longer, but it is not clear by how much.
For example, the record lifespan of an anaconda in captivity has been recorded at 28 years. Again, it is unlikely that an individual is able to survive all natural disasters without consequences, and probably somewhere in the range of these data is the average life expectancy of this species.
Social structure and reproduction
Anacondas lead a solitary lifestyle, they do not contact each other. Moreover, they can attack and eat their relative if he is inferior to them in size. Only during the mating season do they begin to treat each other with indifference.
Males start chasing females. They are easy to find by the fetid trail that they leave on purpose when they feel ready to mate. Often several contenders crawl for one female at once. The males start fighting each other. They wrap around and squeeze the opponent, intertwine into a ball. Unable to withstand pressure, it is soon removed. The advantage, as a rule, is with larger males. The winner gets the opportunity to mate with the female.
The gestation period lasts about six months. During this time, the female almost does not move and does not eat anything. She loses a lot of weight, it happens to be reduced by half. Anacondas are ovoviviparous reptiles. The cubs hatch from eggs while still in the womb and crawl out as kites, about half a meter long. There are 30-50 of these in one litter. Little snakes are ready for independent existence. Few manage to survive. While they are small, they are very vulnerable to other animals and even other older anacondas.
Natural enemies of the anaconda
An adult anaconda has very few enemies among the animals living around. Few can match her strength. Even crocodiles, far from always attacking an anaconda, can overcome it. The danger to these creatures threatens more in childhood, while they are not yet so strong. First of all, older anacondas or pythons can eat them. And they can easily deal with them. But if the anaconda succeeds, despite all the difficulties of a child's life, to become an adult, few people will interfere with her to exist peacefully.
For adult anacondas, only people are of great danger. Indians hunters kill them with the help of various tools. There are no failures. If a person wants to get himself a dead snake, he will do it. They are mined mainly for their meat. This dish is very popular in South America. It is eaten by both locals and visiting tourists. It is tender and sweetish in taste, many people like it very much. The snake skin is also very valuable. It is used for fashion clothes and accessories. Snake skin is used by designers in furniture decoration and for various kinds of decor.
Population and species status
Anacondas need such habitat conditions that a person approaches quite rarely. It is very difficult to conduct expeditions in the jungle, to explore the reservoirs and their contents. Therefore, it is problematic to estimate even approximately the number of anaconda individuals.
The extraction of anacondas for the zoo is always successful, it is always possible to find the right number of individuals. Hunting for anacondas by local residents does not stop and does not cause difficulties, therefore, their numbers are quite dense. Near agriculture, there are cases of anaconda attacks on livestock, which also indicates their stable multitude.
Of course, much is not written about anacondas in the Red Book, the conservation status indicates that “the threat has not been assessed.” Nevertheless, experts believe that this species is out of danger and has all the necessary conditions for a comfortable existence and reproduction. So it is - tropical forests, jungles and swamps are the least susceptible to human invasion, development, tourism development and environmental pollution. Therefore, the factors that interfere with the normal life of anacondas will not reach these places so soon. Anaconda can live in peace, its population is not yet threatened.
Anaconda is one of the few reptiles that have survived almost unchanged after many millennia of existence on Earth. Today we will consider a detailed description of this snake, as well as information about its habitats, nutrition and the possibility of keeping at home.
Description and appearance
There are many legends about the anaconda, sometimes so incredible that they cast doubt on the existence of a snake in the real world, so it is necessary to consider information about who the anaconda is, whether such snakes exist on the planet or not, what kind of creature it is and what they are.
The Anaconda genus is just one species of snake that has the same name as the genus name. This type of snake is also called the giant, common, black, green anaconda. This huge creature belongs to the Boa constrictor family, so the name "water boa" can be found in ancient literature. 
With a sufficiently large length, the weight of the animal is record-breaking and can reach more than 100 kg, so we can say with confidence that the anaconda is the largest snake in the world. The biography of this creature can be traced back to 1553, when it was first mentioned in literature - it was Pedro Cies de Leon's book Chronicle of Peru.
body characteristic
Let us consider in more detail what the anaconda looks like, what are its dimensions: how many meters it reaches in length, how much it weighs.
The main color of the snake is grayish-green, on the body there are two rows of brown spots in a checkerboard pattern, having a rounded or oblong shape. The sides of the body are decorated with small yellow spots, which are surrounded by black rings. Thanks to this coloring, the snake can be effectively camouflaged during the hunting period.
Anaconda does not belong to the category of poisonous snakes, and its saliva is not capable of causing paralysis in the victim. As for the size, there is eyewitness information about the existence of individuals whose length exceeded 6 m, but they are not registered as official.
Based on official data, the largest anaconda is the discovered female, which has a maximum length for the species - 5.21 m, and its weight was 97.5 kg. 
The average body length of these animals usually does not exceed 5 m in length, in addition, females have a larger and longer body than males. The average body weight of an adult is 50 kg.
Did you know? Anaconda, like ordinary snakes, is able to throw off old skin: this process takes place in water, at the bottom of the reservoir. To facilitate shedding, the snake rubs against the bottom, and the old skin peels off much faster.
Like other reptiles, these creatures have an axial skeleton, divided into two sections - the trunk and tail: they consist of 435 vertebrae. The snake has movable ribs that can diverge widely after hunting and swallowing large prey.
The skull has a very mobile articulation of the bones, which are interconnected by elastic ligaments, which allows the animal to open its mouth wide in the process of swallowing large prey whole.
Due to the fact that the nostrils and eyes of the creature are located high on the head, the animal is able to be completely in the water - this simplifies the process of hunting. This feature of the arrangement of organs is very similar to crocodiles. 
The anaconda has short teeth, so the victim receives shallow bites, and if she is lucky to escape, the wounds usually heal quickly and without any special consequences.
The anaconda is often compared with the python: both animals have a similar body structure, but, despite the obvious similarity, the anaconda is much heavier, and in length this animal is second only to the reticulated python, the longest reptile in the world.
Movement speed and strength
The animal moves very quietly and quickly enough, especially during the hunting period. At the time of the throw for prey, its speed on land can reach 40 km / h, which is associated with a very powerful musculature of the body.
The reptile has the strongest muscles capable of exerting a compressive force equal to 16 kg per 1 sq. cm of body, or more than 1.5 tons per 1 sq. m, so it can suffocate the victim in a matter of seconds.
Anaconda is able to move very quickly in water: its speed is 25 km / h, and it can hold its breath when immersed in water for 1.5–2 hours. 
Lifestyle
The creature's lifestyle differs from other snakes primarily in that it prefers to spend most of its time in a pond. Many are interested in how long this reptile lives, and the answer to this question is 11 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity.
area
Let's take a closer look at where the animal lives. Anaconda is distributed throughout the tropical part of the South American mainland. The snake thrives in calm waters, so it can be found in backwaters, lakes of the Amazon basin or the Orinoco River: in such places it is easiest for it to hunt.
The animal is always found close to water, occasionally visiting the shore to bask in the sun, sometimes nestling on the lower branches of a tree. In hot weather, when the reservoir dries up, the creature can crawl to another place or go downstream.
Sometimes it burrows into the silt and falls into a stupor, and lives in this state until the reservoir is filled with water again. 
How it hunts and what it eats
Food for a reptile in the wild are different types of mammals, birds and reptiles, which it expects near the water. Most often among the victims of the anaconda there are agouti, waterfowl, iguanas, and the snake can also feast on bakers, capybaras and caimans. The easiest prey for the creature are turtles, tegus and small snakes.
Consider how the anaconda kills. The animal does not make any special efforts to catch the prey: often it lies in wait for the prey in a motionless state and abruptly grabs it in a lightning throw, then, wrapping the rings around the body, proceeds to suffocate the victim and swallows it whole, opening its mouth wide.
Cases of cannibalism are also common, when one individual can eat another, smaller one.
reproduction
Anacondas are solitary snakes, but when the mating season comes, they form groups. This time falls on the rainy season - April-May. Females secrete the enzyme, leaving it on the ground and thus attracting males.
In the process of mating, the male wraps around the female, using the rudiments of the hind limbs to clutch. The process of bearing the offspring stretches for 7 months - at this time, the weight of the snake is significantly reduced, almost twice. 
One female can reproduce up to 42 kites, in rare cases up to 100. Small snakes are about 60 cm long.
Did you know? The anaconda is considered ovoviviparous, but is sometimes capable of laying eggs.
snake enemies
Consider who can defeat the anaconda in a fight and who is stronger than the described animal. Adult females, due to their large body size, have practically no enemies, while males more often become victims.
Cougars and jaguars, giant otters, Orinoc crocodiles and black caimans can prey on them. Often, adult males and especially cubs can be eaten by crocodile caimans.
How to escape from the anaconda
There have been quite a few cases of reptile attacks on humans - perhaps this is due to the fact that such incidents happen deep in the jungle, and therefore remain unregistered, and it is still not clear whether anacondas eat people intentionally.
Nevertheless, the observations that were made by man allow us to put forward the theory that an adult animal will not dare to attack a person for the first time. An attack is possible if the snake is disturbed and it perceives you as a threat. 
However, it is worth remembering that a reptile can swallow a person without much effort, so it must be perceived as potentially dangerous. Most often, a person is bitten - in order to protect himself, the animal bites on any part of the body, which can then swell.
Important! If you do not have an allergic reaction to the components of anaconda saliva, then the swelling will soon pass, but if not only the bite site, but the whole body begins to swell, you should immediately go to the hospital.
Is it possible to keep at home
Only the Paraguayan subspecies is suitable for home keeping, but only professional terrariumists are advised to start such a dangerous creature at home.
In order for the animal to feel comfortable, it needs to be provided with a very large terrarium, approximately the size of a small room, in which a large pool will be placed, since the creature simply needs to be in the water regularly.
Suitable food for rats and rabbits. Small individuals are recommended to be fed once every 15 days, adults - once a month. In order not to provoke the aggressiveness of the animal in relation to the person, you should not give him live food. 
The terrarium must be cleaned every day and the water in the pool changed; it is worth maintaining a very high humidity in the dwelling - at least 90%. The general temperature in the terrarium should be at least +25 °C, it is imperative to provide the anaconda with a warm corner with a temperature of +30 °C.
The reptile is equipped with 2 shelters, coconut mulch and peat mixture are well suited as a substrate, snags are also installed so that the snake can crawl over them.
Precautions for keeping an anaconda at home include the following items:
- Do not be alone when communicating with a snake - it is necessary that there is someone to save you in case of an animal attack.
- You should not take a domestic anaconda in your arms - these snakes do not tolerate the invasion of personal space, so they often bite or squeeze their hands, up to fractures.
- Close the terrarium tightly so that the snake cannot get out of it on its own.
- It is desirable that the room in which the terrarium is located is tightly closed. For safety reasons, it is not recommended to install it in a bedroom or a room where people rest or sleep.
Important! When the terrarium is open, in no case do not let pets and small children close to the snake, as there is a high probability that the anaconda will swallow them in a matter of seconds.
Thus, the anaconda is a very large creature, which in its habitat is a dangerous predator. Keeping an anaconda at home is not advised, but if you decide to acquire such a peculiar friend, you need to try very hard and spend money to provide the snake with the necessary conditions for a normal existence.
Anaconda: video
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