Which anaconda is the largest? Anaconda is a big snake

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

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

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

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

Anaconda is the largest modern snake. Its average length is 5-6 meters, and specimens of 8-9 meters are often found. The specimen, unique in size and reliably measured, had a length of 11.43 m (this specimen, however, could not be preserved).

Currently, the largest known giant anaconda is about 9 meters long and weighs about 130 kg, and is kept at the New York Zoological Society. The main color of the anaconda's body is grayish-green with two rows of large brown spots of round or oblong shape, alternating in a checkerboard pattern. On the sides of the body there is a row of smaller yellow spots surrounded by black rings. This coloring effectively camouflages the snake when it lurks in calm water covered with brown leaves and tufts of algae. Females are much larger and stronger than males.

The anaconda inhabits the entire tropical part of South America east of the Andes: Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, eastern Paraguay, northern Bolivia, northeastern Peru, Guyana, French Guiana, and the island of Trinidad. Due to the inaccessibility of the anaconda's habitats, it is difficult for scientists to estimate its numbers and monitor population dynamics. There are many anacondas in zoos around the world, but it is quite difficult for them to take root in captivity. The maximum lifespan of an anaconda in a terrarium is 28 years, but usually in captivity these snakes live 5-6 years.

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

Strangler snakes are also called false-legged snakes because they have rudiments of hind limbs in the form of claws on the sides of the anus. In addition, they preserved the rudiments of all three pelvic bones and hips (after all, snakes are descended from monitor lizards, from which they branched off in the Upper Jurassic period). They have powerful muscles as they strangle their prey before swallowing it. Their eyes have a vertical pupil.

The first subfamily, the so-called pythons, inhabit mainly Asia, especially Indochina and the Malay Archipelago. As for size, they really belong to the largest snakes in the world; some record holders reach 10 m in length.

Another subfamily is boa constrictors, whose homeland is tropical America. These include the famous boa constrictor, although rumors about its size are exaggerated; it is usually no longer than 4 meters. In addition to it, this subfamily includes a real giant - the anaconda boa constrictor, the largest specimens of which reached 11 meters. We are not talking about their thickness here, since it is not indicative: a boa constrictor that has just eaten lunch can have a colossal “carcass”, swollen from swallowed prey. In any case, the thickness at the widest point of an uneaten anaconda is comparable to the body of a man, and if it is larger, then not by much.

Boas and pythons hunt by hiding in trees, waiting for their prey. Anaconda, a snake in principle, is a water snake, although it can crawl through trees, but does not do it very willingly.

The main color of the anaconda is grayish-green with large dark brown spots of round or oblong shape, alternating in a checkerboard pattern. On the sides of the body there is a series of small light spots surrounded by a black stripe. This coloring perfectly hides the anaconda when it hides, lying in a quiet backwater, where brown leaves and tufts of algae float on the gray-green water. Favorite places anacondas - low-flow branches and creeks, oxbow lakes and lakes, swampy lowlands in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. In such secluded corners, the anaconda, lying in the water, guards its prey of various mammals that come to drink (agouti, peccaries), waterfowl, sometimes turtles and young caimans. Domestic pigs, dogs, chickens, and ducks also fall prey to the anaconda when they approach water. The anaconda often crawls ashore and takes sunbathing, but does not go far from the water. She swims well, dives and can stay under water for a long time, while her nostrils are closed with special valves.

When a reservoir dries up, the anaconda moves to neighboring ones or goes downstream of the river. In case of excessive dryness, when all nearby bodies of water dry up, it buries itself in sand or silt and enters a state resembling hibernation. This only applies to areas where seasonal droughts occur. In Brazil, for example, this snake remains vigorous and active all year round.

Scary stories about anaconda cannibalism are not true. Snakes never attack prey that they cannot swallow. Single attacks on people are carried out by it, apparently by mistake, when the snake sees only part of a person’s body under water or if it seems to it that they want to attack it or take away its prey.

It is well known that the lower jaw of a snake consists of two halves connected by a very elastic tendon. Also, with the help of tendons, and not a stable joint, it connects to the skull, which allows the snake to stretch its mouth to incredible sizes. However, this ability is not unlimited. The head of the largest anaconda does not exceed 15 cm in diameter. No matter how it opens its mouth, neither the head nor the body of a person will squeeze through it.

As for swallowing prey “alive” by an anaconda, boas never do this at all, since they must first strangle the victim, squeezing it with their rings, as their name indicates.

Particularly colorful stories can be heard about the snake's gaze. It is sparkling, bewitching, chilling, and numbing people and animals.

All this, of course, is nonsense, but these snake eyes are already an anatomical curiosity. In fact, we don't see them at all.

How is this? “I,” an experienced person will say, “have never seen an anaconda, but I have met other snakes more than once and I know well that they have eyes, but only some dull, expressionless ones.”

This description corresponds to reality and indicates precisely that this man did not see the real eyes of the snake. The fact is that these reptiles have amazing phenomenon. Their upper and lower eyelids are fused together, resulting in their eyes being blocked from light. However, in order for them to somehow perform their functions for the benefit of the animal, the fused eyelids became transparent, as a result of which the snake looks through them, as if through glasses. Before molting, the old skin begins to separate from the body, the transparency of the eyelids sharply decreases, and then we cease to distinguish between the iris and pupils of the snake. She, for her part, also begins to see worse through these frosted “glasses.”

The anaconda's molting process often takes place underwater; in captivity you have to watch how a snake, immersed in a pool, rubs its belly against its bottom and gradually pulls off its crawl. Anaconda, like many reptiles, including snakes, is ovoviviparous, and the female brings from 28 to 42 cubs 5080 cm long, but can occasionally lay eggs. Anaconda pregnancy lasts a very long time. Once, a female caught in Brazil, in October 1928, gave birth to almost a hundred cubs, but in the Berlin Zoo and after seven months. Newborn snakes were 3/4 m long.

In captivity, these snakes do not live long, 5-6 years, the maximum recorded life expectancy in captivity is 28 years. They feed mainly on rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, but they also eat various reptiles, fish and sometimes swallow snakes. One day, a 5-meter anaconda strangled and ate a 2.5-meter dark python, which took her only 45 minutes.

The common boa constrictor is also found near human habitation, where it hunts rodents and lizards. In some areas it is even almost “domesticated” - local residents keep boas in their houses and barns, and they regularly catch rats and mice, like cats.

During the breeding season, which occurs in different times in each subspecies, the common boa constrictor bears from 15 to 64 live young, each half a meter long. In two years they grow to 2-3 m in length and become sexually mature. When kept in captivity, the common boa constrictor readily eats mice, rats, pigeons and chickens. Young boas are well tamed, adult snakes are often vicious, hissing and biting a person if handled carelessly. Boas live in captivity for about ten years, but sometimes much longer - up to 23 years.

The Madagascar boa constrictor is very close in structure to common boa constrictor and until recently was included with it in the genus Constrictor, but some anatomical differences and a separate area forced it to be separated into an independent genus.

The unusually beautiful coloring of the body with diamond-shaped spots on the back and an intricate eye-shaped pattern on the sides is complemented by an intense bluish-green metallic sheen, especially bright on the back of the body. This snake, reaching three meters in length, inhabits the forests of Madagascar, where it always stays close to water. In captivity, it willingly eats various birds; He has a very calm disposition and never uses his teeth.

Based on the book by Jan Žabiński

If you slowly drift downstream from the confluence of Abunan and Rio Negro, you can meet the triangular head of an anaconda. Her body is several feet. It squirms. This is a giant anaconda. I had to shoot her to save my life. When we came ashore, we approached the snake with great caution. We tried to measure its length. It turned out to be sixty-two feet. Such big anacondas They are rare, but the tracks they leave in swamps can be up to six feet wide. All this testifies in favor of the statement of those Indians and rubber tappers who claim that anacondas can reach incredibly large sizes. Any invasion of anaconda habitats is like playing with death.

In almost every depression filled with water, two or three of these monsters can be found. Local Indians fearlessly hunt snakes. They, gathered in groups of up to 10 people, jump into the water to kill the anaconda with knives. And they sometimes succeed.
Almost every book about South America you might encounter an anaconda.

The anaconda hunter is slow. Most often, she lies on the bottom and only occasionally raises her head above the water to see if her prey has approached the shore. She can simply swim with the flow of the river in search of schools of fish.
Most often, the anaconda hunts fish, various mammals that come to drink, waterfowl, sometimes turtles and young caimans. She kills with her deadly embrace - she strangles the victim.

Too much growth for an anaconda is a biologically unjustified excess.
There are two types of anacondas. The second species is the southern anaconda. She lives further south normal looking and much smaller in size (limit - 3.25 meters). The anaconda is not brightly colored: a dark olive base tone, and oval black (“velvet”) spots are scattered throughout the body. The southern anaconda has a lighter background with a yellowish tint.
Anaconda is a real water boa constrictor. But she hunts prey not in the water, but near the shore: she grabs animals and birds that come to drink. In some areas, anacondas regularly prey on young crocodiles (caimans).
Anacondas do not lay eggs, but give birth to live young. There are from 30 to 80 of them in one litter. And they, newborns, are 70-90 centimeters long.

Precisely because of the inaccessibility of its habitats, very little is known about the habits of the giant anaconda. Almost all the information was collected from observing these animals in zoos. It is also difficult to estimate their number in wildlife. However, apparently, this species is not in danger of extinction.

The anaconda is one of those few reptiles that have remained virtually unchanged after many millennia of existence on Earth. Today we will look at detailed description this snake, as well as information about its habitats, nutrition and the possibility of keeping it at home.

Description and appearance

There are many legends about the anaconda, sometimes so incredible that they cast doubt on the existence of the snake in real world, therefore, it is necessary to consider information about who an anaconda is, whether such snakes exist on the planet or not, what kind of creature it is and what they are like.

The Anaconda genus is just one species of snake whose name is the same 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, which is why in ancient literature you can find the name “water boa.”

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 most big 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 characteristics

Let's take a closer look at what an anaconda looks like, what its dimensions are: how many meters it reaches in length, how much it weighs.

The main color of the snake is grayish-green; two rows of brown spots, round or oblong in shape, are placed on the body in a checkerboard pattern. The sides of the body are decorated with small yellow spots, which are surrounded by black rings. Thanks to this coloration, the snake can effectively camouflage itself during the hunting period.

The anaconda does not belong to the category of poisonous snakes, and its saliva is not capable of causing paralysis in the victim. As for size, there is eyewitness information about the existence of individuals whose length exceeded 6 m, but they are not registered as official.

If we rely on official data, then the largest anaconda is the discovered female, which has the maximum length for the species - 5.21 m, and its weight was 97.5 kg.
Average length the bodies of these animals usually do not exceed 5 m in length, and females are larger and long body than males. Average weight adult body - 50 kg.

Did you know? Anaconda, like ordinary snakes, is capable of shedding old skin: this process occurs in water, at the bottom of a reservoir. To facilitate shedding, the snake rubs against the bottom, and the old skin comes off much faster.

Like other reptiles, these creatures have an axial skeleton divided into two sections - the body and the 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 bones, which are connected to each other 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 creature's nostrils and eyes are located high on the head, the animal is able to remain completely in the water - this simplifies the hunting process. This feature of the arrangement of organs is very reminiscent of crocodiles.
The anaconda has short teeth, so the victim receives shallow bites, and if she is lucky enough to escape, the wounds usually heal quickly and without any special consequences.

The anaconda is often compared to the python: both animals have a similar body structure, but despite the obvious similarities, 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 quite quickly, especially during the hunting period. At the moment of rushing for prey, its speed on land can reach 40 km/h, which is due to the very powerful muscles of the body.

The reptile has the strongest muscles possible, capable of exerting a compression force of 16 kg per 1 square meter. cm of body, or more than 1.5 tons per 1 sq. m, so it can suffocate a victim in a matter of seconds.

The anaconda is capable of moving 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 body of water. Many people are interested in how long this reptile lives, and the answer to this question- 11 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity.

Area

Let's take a closer look at where the animal lives. The anaconda is distributed throughout the tropical part of the South American continent. The snake feels good 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 perching 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 buries itself in the silt and falls into a torpor, and lives in this state until the reservoir is filled with water again.

How to hunt and what to eat

Food for reptiles in the wild is different types mammals, birds and reptiles that it waits near the water. Most often among the victims of the anaconda there are agouti, waterfowl, iguanas, and the snake can also feast on peccaries, capybaras and caimans. The easiest prey for the creature are turtles, tegus and small snakes.

Let's look at how the anaconda kills. The animal does not make any special effort to catch its prey: it often lies in wait for the victim in a motionless state and suddenly grabs it in a lightning-fast throw, then, wrapping rings around its body, it begins to strangle 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 mating season comes, they form groups. This time falls during the rainy season - April–May. Females secrete the enzyme, leaving it on the ground and thus attracting males.

During the mating process, the male wraps himself around the female, using the rudiments of the hind limbs for coupling. The process of bearing offspring lasts for 7 months - during this time the weight of the snake decreases significantly, almost by half.
One female can reproduce up to 42 baby snakes, 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.

Enemies of the snake

Let's consider who can defeat an anaconda in a fight and who is stronger than the animal being described. Adult females, due to large sizes bodies, have practically no enemies, but males more often become victims.

They can be hunted by pumas and jaguars, giant otters, Orinoco crocodiles and black caimans. Often, adult males and especially young ones can be eaten by crocodile caimans.

How to escape from an anaconda

Quite a few cases of reptile attacks on humans have been recorded - perhaps this is due to the fact that such incidents occur deep in the jungle, and therefore remain unregistered, and it is still unclear whether anacondas eat people intentionally.

Nevertheless, observations that were carried out by humans allow us to put forward the theory that an adult animal will not dare to attack a person first. An attack is possible if you disturb the snake 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 itself, the animal bites any part of the body, which may then swell.

Important! If you don't have allergic reaction on the components of anaconda saliva, the swelling will soon go away, 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 terrarium keepers are advised to keep 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 it will be placed. large swimming pool, since it is simply vital for the creature to be in the water regularly.

Rats and rabbits are suitable as food. It is recommended to feed small individuals once every 15 days, adults - once a month. In order not to provoke the animal’s aggressiveness towards humans, you should not give it live food.
The terrarium must be cleaned every day and the water in the pool must be changed; the humidity in the home should be maintained at a very high level - at least 90%. General temperature the temperature in the terrarium should be at least +25 °C; be sure to provide the anaconda with a warm corner with a temperature of +30 °C.

The reptile is provided with 2 shelters; coconut mulch and peat mixture are suitable as a substrate; snags are also installed so that the snake can crawl on them.

Precautionary measures when keeping an anaconda at home include the following points:

Do not be alone when dealing with a snake - it is necessary to have someone to save you in the event of an animal attack.
You should not pick up a pet anaconda - these snakes do not tolerate invasion of personal space, so they often bite or squeeze hands, even causing fractures.
Close the terrarium tightly so that the snake cannot get out of it on its own.
It is advisable 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 room where people rest or sleep.

Important! When the terrarium is open, never allow pets or small children close to the snake, as there is a high chance that the anaconda will swallow them in a matter of seconds.

Thus, the anaconda is a very large creature, which in its habitat is dangerous predator. It is not recommended to keep an anaconda at home, but if you decide to get such a unique friend, you need to try very hard and spend money to provide the snake with the necessary conditions for a normal existence.

Anaconda: video

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

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

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

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

Fiction and reality

Thanks to Hollywood and Jennifer Lopez. Today, probably only very lazy people have not watched the famous film “Anaconda”. In that film, the snake is presented as a terrible man-eating monster. In fact, this is very far from reality. Like attacking a person from a treetop. Anacondas are too heavy for this kind of hunting.

There are 4 types of anacondas.

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

What does Eunectes mean?

Eunectes is translated from Greek as “good swimmer.”

Anacondas live exclusively in South America:

Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Ecuador
Paraguay
Venezuela
Trinidad

The amazing size of this snake

Anaconda is considered the largest snake in the whole world. The average length of its body can reach 10 m. The weight of these creeping creatures is up to 250 kg. The parameters of the largest anaconda that was caught by a person were: 11 m 43 cm.

What kind of anaconda is she?

Its body is brownish-green with brownish spots. Anacondas live in the tropical forests of southern America. They are comfortable in damp riverine forests and swamps, where the most best places for a great hunt. The anaconda constrictor spends most of its time in bodies of water, camouflaging itself in the grey-green waters where brown leaves and algae float. In such places, the snake is inconspicuous and, hiding, waits for the victim going to the watering hole.

Looks like a pretty cute face

Anaconda is a completely non-venomous snake. Its main weapon is the ability to strangle prey by wrapping itself in numerous rings around it. She grabs the victim with sharp teeth, twists its body around it, tightening the animal’s chest until it stops breathing. After this procedure, the anaconda turns the prey with its head towards itself and swallows it, “putting it on” the victim’s carcass in the form of a stocking.

Anacondas have one more feature. Thanks to the presence of nasal valves on the muzzle, it can dive under water. The snake hunts various medium-sized ungulates and also feeds on waterfowl and domestic animals that come to the watering hole.

Anaconda - classification.

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

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

Surely you have heard horror stories about anacondas more than once or watched terrifying footage from films. But in reality, these cases are extremely rare. The anaconda does not attack people because it knows that prey of this size may be too much for it to handle. However, there are documents in which there are documented cases of a teenager being killed by a snake. Amazon hunters, as soon as they see an anaconda, lose no opportunity to kill it.

According to legends and foreign cinema anaconda- incredibly huge and dangerous snake. Surprisingly, it is not uncommon to hear from people about the size of an anaconda that is two to three times its true size. These, of course, are all fairy tales and fictions, once presented as official data. Everything is much more modest, the anaconda is indeed the largest snake, but only statistically. She is also quite calm and is not interested in such large prey as humans.

Origin of the species and description

Anacondas belong to the subfamily of boa constrictors of the pseudopod family, order Scaly, class reptiles. Experts are increasingly inclined to believe that the common anaconda has no subspecies. According to other sources, there are still four varieties of anaconda, each of which is slightly different in size, color and habitat.

Giant anaconda;
Paraguayan;
Deschauerskaya;
Anaconda Eunectes beniensis.

Anaconda, like boas, has a small head, but the body is somewhat more massive and even looks disproportionate. The length of the snake can reach 5 - 6 meters, but not 9 - 11 or 20, as mentioned in some sources. Weight Limit 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 capable of swallowing prey almost equal in weight to themselves. If a snake weighs about a hundred, then swallowing a person and digesting him will not be difficult. But still he is large and smart for a snake, and that’s all known cases attacks on a person indicate that it happened by mistake.

Appearance and features

The anaconda is the largest snake, and in length it is inferior to the reticulated python, but in 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 slightly larger individuals. According to experts, anacondas can reach a length of 6.7 meters and a weight of 130 kg.

The average length of a snake is 3 - 4 meters, and its weight is 50 - 70 kg. The diameter of the reptile reaches 35 cm; after swallowing the victim, it stretches up to the right size. Snakes grow throughout their lives, the first years are much more intense than after, but we can confidently assume that the largest individuals are of considerable age.

Video: Anaconda

The head is small compared to the body, but the mouth is open form huge and capable of stretching, like the pharynx. This allows the anaconda to pay less attention to the size of the prey. The teeth are short, they can bite painfully. But there are no fangs; they would only get in the way when swallowing a victim. Saliva is harmless and there are no poisonous glands. The wound will be painful, but not life-threatening.

The color of the anaconda camouflages it against the background of its habitat. These are reservoirs, shallow waters, tropics. The body color is close to marsh, gray-green. There are two rows of dark, brown, brown spots along the back. They are round or oblong, up to 10 cm in diameter, solid in color, alternating in a checkerboard pattern. And on the sides there are lighter stripes completely 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 anaconda's habitat is almost the whole continent— South America, except for its southern part. Of course, the climate at all latitudes is not suitable for snake habitat, since the continent has a very long stretch from north to south. To the east of the Andes, the anaconda's habitat is in countries such as Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, and French Guiana. The island of Trinidad stands out separately.

If we look at subspecies, the giant anaconda lives throughout the tropics. Paraguayan respectively in Paraguay, as well as Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and northern Bolivia. Deschauerskaya was seen only in the north of 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 strong currents; to match their character, they prefer calm. 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 out on the shore or trees in the open sun, but they need moisture, they make sure to be near a body of water. The rough surface of the belly in the form of scales helps them move on land. The powerful muscular body uses the friction of the outer covering and, thus, bending in every possible way, moves quickly.

If water bodies dry up, the snake cannot exist normally. To survive difficult times, she buries herself in the bottom former swamp, in silt and slush and can become numb until better times.

What does an 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 itself. However, this is not always easy, and prey of such dimensions will not go into your mouth on its own. It happens the other way around - when trying to attack, for example, she herself becomes the victim. But the fact remains a fact.

Nevertheless, the basis of the anaconda’s diet consists of smaller living creatures, namely:

small mammals (capybaras, agouti, even sheep and dogs near the territory agriculture may become its prey);
reptiles (frogs, iguanas, lizards);
turtles;
waterfowl;
their own kind (pythons, and even anacondas themselves are smaller in size);
fish on rare occasions.

The hunt goes as follows: the anaconda lurks in the water and watches the potential victim. Her eyes do not blink, which is why people interpret her gaze as a process of hypnosis. IN right moment The anaconda attacks the victim with its entire body at once, without even using its teeth. Its body compresses 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 no longer needs to worry about her food for the week, or even months in advance. She will gradually become 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. Next time the anaconda will not want to dine 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. Cases of cannibalism are also common among anacondas.

Features of character and lifestyle

The character 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 they count on, the anaconda merges with environment and no one touches her. Like all snakes, anacondas periodically undergo molting. Then they need to make auxiliary body movements. They curl and rub against the bottom and rocks in the pond. The peel 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 come out to lie in the sun or curl around a tree trunk, but soon they calmly return to familiar environment. If snakes see that their pond is drying up, then they look for another one. They often follow the current to greater depths of rivers. During periods of drought, anacondas bury themselves in the mud, looking for a cooler place with a large number water. There they can go into torpor for months until the rains arrive and the rivers fill.

Anacondas are such quiet animals that if you don’t specifically look for them, you may not find them. This is probably why they were identified as a separate species only at the end of the 20th century. The only sound they make is a faint hiss. The lifespan of anacondas is not precisely known. They have been shown to have low survival rates in captivity. Terrariums can support the life of anacondas for 5 - 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 is 28 years. Again, it is unlikely that an individual is capable of experiencing everything natural disasters without consequences, and probably somewhere in the range of these data is average duration life of this species.

Social structure and reproduction

Anacondas lead a solitary lifestyle and do not communicate with each other. Moreover, they can attack and eat their relative if he is inferior to them in size. Only for a while mating season they begin to treat each other not indifferently.

Males begin to pursue females. They are easy to find by the smelly trail they leave on purpose when they feel ready to mate. Often several applicants crawl after one female at once. The males begin to fight each other. They wrap around and squeeze the opponent, intertwining into a lump. Those who cannot withstand the pressure are soon removed. The advantage, as a rule, goes to larger males. The winner gets the opportunity to mate with the female.

The gestation period lasts about six months. During this time, the female hardly moves and does not eat anything. She loses a lot of weight, sometimes shrinks by half. Anacondas are ovoviviparous reptiles. The cubs hatch from eggs in the womb and crawl out as baby snakes, about half a meter long. There are 30 - 50 of these in one litter. Small snakes are ready for independent existence. A small part manages 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 it. Few can rival her in strength. Even crocodiles, not always attacking an anaconda, can defeat it. These creatures are more dangerous in childhood, when they are not yet so strong. They may be eaten first by older anacondas or pythons. And they can easily deal with them. But if an anaconda manages, despite all the difficulties of childhood life, to become an adult, few people will stop it from existing peacefully.

For adult anacondas, only people pose the greatest danger. Indian hunters kill them using various weapons. There are no failures. If a person wants to get a dead snake for himself, he will do it. They are hunted 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 really like it. Snake skin is also very valuable. It is used for fashionable clothes and accessories. Snake skin is used by designers in furniture finishing and for various kinds decor.

Population and species status

Anacondas require such living conditions that humans rarely approach. It is very difficult to conduct expeditions in the jungle, to explore bodies of water 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; the required number of individuals is always found. 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 abundance.

Of course, the Red Book doesn’t say much about anacondas, but protective status indicated - “the threat has not been assessed.” However, experts believe that this species is not endangered and has all necessary conditions for comfortable existence and reproduction. This is true - tropical forests, jungles and swamps are least susceptible to human invasion, development, tourism development and environmental pollution. Therefore, factors that interfere normal life anacondas will not reach these places so soon. Anaconda can live in peace, its population is not yet threatened.