The giant anaconda is a predator in the wild. Is the anaconda dangerous for human life?
Giant anaconda, or common anaconda, or green anaconda(Eunectes murinus)
Class - reptiles
Order - scaly
Family - pseudopods
Genus: anacondas
Appearance
Anaconda is the largest modern snake. Her average length- 5-6 meters, and specimens of 8-9 meters are often found.
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 yellow spots smaller, surrounded by black rings. This coloration effectively hides the snake when it is hiding in calm water, covered brown leaves and bunches of algae.
Habitat
Anaconda inhabits the entire tropical part South America east of the Andes: Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, eastern Paraguay, northern Bolivia, northeastern Peru, Guyana, French Guiana, and the island of Trinidad.
Lifestyle
Anaconda leads an almost entirely aquatic lifestyle. It lives in quiet, low-flowing river branches, backwaters, oxbow lakes and lakes in 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 out onto the shore and basks in the sun, sometimes climbing onto the lower branches of trees. The anaconda swims and dives well and can remain under water for a long time, while its nostrils are closed with special valves.
When a reservoir dries up, the anaconda crawls into another or goes downstream of the river. IN dry period, which occurs in some anaconda habitats, the snake buries itself in the bottom silt and falls into a stupor, in which it remains until the rains resume.
Anacondas also molt underwater. In captivity, I had to watch how a snake, immersed in a pool, rubs its belly against its bottom and gradually pulls off its old skin.
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). Anacondas often eat waterfowl, small caimans, turtles, and snakes for lunch. Fish occupies a much smaller place in the anaconda’s diet than the four-legged inhabitants of the jungle. Like all boas, the anaconda motionlessly waits for prey, and when it approaches, it grabs it with a lightning-fast throw and strangles it, wrapping rings around its body (contrary to popular belief, the anaconda, like other boas, does not crush the victim and does not break its bones, but squeezes it and does not allows her to breathe, and she dies from suffocation). Like all snakes without exception, the anaconda swallows its prey whole, greatly stretching its mouth and throat.
Anacondas are marked frequent cases cannibalism.
Most of At times, anacondas stay solitary, but gather in groups during the mating season, which coincides with the onset of rains and occurs in April-May in the Amazon.
Reproduction
Sexual maturity is reached at the age of 28-44 months.
During the mating period, males find females by following an odorous trail on the ground, guided by the smell of pheromones released by the female. During this period, you can observe how several very excited males scurry around one calmly lying female. Like many other snakes, anacondas form a ball of several intertwined individuals. When mating, the male wraps himself around the female’s body, using the rudiments of the hind limbs for traction (as all pseudopods do). During this ritual, a characteristic grinding sound is heard.
The female bears the offspring for 6-7 months. During pregnancy, she loses a lot of weight, often losing almost half her weight. Anaconda is ovoviviparous. The female brings from 28 to 42 baby snakes (apparently, their number can reach up to 100) 50-80 cm long, but can occasionally lay eggs.
The maximum lifespan of an anaconda in a terrarium is 28 years, but usually in captivity these snakes live 5-6 years.
Anacondas must be kept in a horizontal type with a large pool in which they spend a significant part of their time. keeping the giant anaconda at 26-32 °C during the day, the water should be warm (26-29 °C). Air humidity should also be significant - up to 90%. For this reason, moisture retention is desirable in a terrarium. Animals are irradiated according to general rules. Anacondas feed on rats in captivity. guinea pigs, less commonly fish and waterfowl; large specimens can eat rabbits. Snakes need to be fed in water. The feed is simply dropped into the water. If the snakes take only living animals, then in the middle of the pool it is necessary to install a massive snag, on the surface of which they plant food rodents, which the snakes can clearly see and deftly snatch.
Anacondas breed well in captivity and do not require any additional stimulation other than preliminary placement. Mating begins in late summer and continues until late autumn. During most of pregnancy, female anacondas refuse to feed. Anacondas breed in captivity every year, and there are no problems with raising young animals - boa constrictors begin to feed immediately after the first moult, which occurs on the 5-13th day after birth. They grow very quickly.
Anaconda is a snake from a separate genus of anacondas, the subfamily of boas, the order of squamates, the class of reptiles.
Along with the python and the boa constrictor, the anaconda is one of the largest snakes in the world, measuring 5 to 6 meters in length and weighing about 100 kg. The largest currently known is about 9 meters long and weighs 130 kg.
The civilized world relatively recently learned about the existence of the anaconda - this viviparous snake, living in impenetrable jungle South America.
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The anaconda lives in the remote, inaccessible jungles of the tropical part of South America in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, northeastern Peru, Ecuador and northern Bolivia, eastern Paraguay and Guyana, French Guiana and the island of Trinidad, and it has not been studied at all so long ago. Basic information about this big snake people found out only in 1992, when biologist Jesus Rivas and a group of scientists studied the anaconda in its habitat, near Venezuela.
The anaconda's body is designed in such a way that, with a body thickness of 14-15 cm, it swallows quite big catch, and then her body stretches to the size of the animal she swallowed. The coloring of these snakes is varied and depends on the species. There are grayish-green ones, there are yellow ones, light brown ones and almost dark ones. The skin is scaly with rounded darker spots arranged in a checkerboard pattern. Such camouflage coloring helps the anaconda to camouflage well among coastal plants and algae.
The anaconda is ideally adapted to life in water. Her long, powerful body, consisting only of muscles, writhing in the water like a powerful propeller, gives her the ability to swim quickly both on the surface of the water and in the depths. Moreover, when it swims, its eyes and nostrils remain on the surface like those of crocodiles, and when immersed in water, the nostrils are closed with special valves. Her eyes, covered with a transparent protective film, remain open under water, and she sees everything even in muddy water. The ability to slow down the heartbeat, while consuming less oxygen, allows her to stay under water for a long time.
Anaconda is a carnivorous predator and feeds only animal food. Eats everything it comes across. These include wild animals: tapirs, peccaries, turtles, small crocodiles and waterfowl. It often attacks domestic animals coming to a watering hole: sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, geese, ducks and even dogs. It can hunt both in water and on land. In the water, the anaconda usually lies hidden, waits for the victim, and when it is close, it rushes at it. In other cases, having good hearing, an anaconda, while under water, can hear the sounds of animals coming to drink a hundred meters away, quietly swim up, and then rush at an unsuspecting animal with a lightning-fast throw. While on land, these cunning snakes can hide on the path leading to a watering hole, or position themselves on thick, low-lying tree branches and, when the animal approaches, rush at them.
The anaconda has no fangs or chewing teeth; it doesn’t need them. But a continuous row of teeth located almost at the same level works like a powerful vice. Once in such a vice, not a single creature will be able to escape. Holding its prey, the anaconda wraps its body around it in multiple rings and strangles it until the victim stops breathing. After this, the anaconda swallows the prey whole, wearing it like a stocking on a leg, stretching its mouth and throat. After this, the loaded anaconda looks for a secluded place and lies down for several days digesting food. One such serving of anaconda is enough for several weeks. After which she goes hunting again. These creatures do not take into account kinship; they are quite capable of devouring each other.
When the anaconda is well-fed, it loves to bask in the sun, exposing its round sides to it. By this, it kind of warms up the blood, because like all reptiles it is a cold-blooded creature. But it does not crawl far from the reservoir and soon plunges into the water. If during the dry season the lake suddenly dries up, it tries to find a new body of water or buries itself in the mud and bottom silt, going into a suspended state in which it remains until the first rains.
Anaconda leads an isolated, solitary lifestyle, but in mating seasons These snakes gather in groups to mate. Females are larger in size than males. Anaconda gives birth to live baby snakes. 7-8 months after the mating events, the female gives birth to up to forty or more small anacondas 50-80 cm long. Immediately after birth, the cubs are able to swim and get their own food. However, they often become prey for many animals and birds and quite a few survive.
Rarely does anyone decide to attack an adult anaconda, so among animals in nature the anaconda has practically no enemies. Who wants to fight this big snake, which also has incredible strength. After all, the weight of a nine-meter anaconda can reach up to 200 kg! A snake of this size can easily handle a small cow. What can we say about a pig or a dog!
Having such an impressive size, the anaconda is able to move silently and remain unnoticed. In the places where it lives, residents of these areas show caution and attentiveness, believing that the anaconda can attack and kill. Cases of attack are very rare and fall into the exceptional category. As observations show, the anaconda, like all other snakes, sensing the approach of a person, hurries to move away in the other direction. The stories of some eyewitnesses about meeting them with anacondas with a body length of 12 meters or more can be considered an exaggeration. There are also fabulous stories about the hypnotic abilities of the anaconda, which supposedly hypnotizes its victim with its gaze.
The anaconda is still considered a little studied reptile. In many countries, for the purpose of study, they are kept in serpentariums, where they are under constant supervision. There are several cases of anacondas breeding in captivity. Lifespan of an anaconda in natural conditions not established, but in terrariums they live up to 20 years.
There are currently four known species: Green, Yellow, Dark and Bolivian. They all lead a generally similar lifestyle, the differences being mainly in their size, color and habitat.
Green or giant anaconda , lat. Eunectes murinus. It is the largest of all. Its length can be more than 9 meters. It is especially common in the Amazon basin in Brazil, and in the vicinity of the Orinoco River in Colombia. Often found in the Llanos grasslands in Venezuela, Ecuador and Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia, Guiana and Peru. Green anacondas have been seen occasionally in Florida. The color of this anaconda is green-olive on the back, yellowish on the belly. There are dark, sometimes almost black spots on the back and sides. The scales of the skin are large in front, decreasing towards the tail.
Paraguayan or yellow anaconda, lat. Eunectes notaeus. Second in size after green. There are individuals reaching a length of 4.5 meters. They live in Paraguay, Northern Argentina, and are found in Bolivia. The yellow anaconda usually chooses places with high humidity: small lakes, swamps, overgrown banks of small rivers and streams. Often found in seasonally flooded areas. Feeds on fish, turtles, lizards, small caimans, waterfowl. Sometimes he steals bird eggs. Paraguayan anaconda snake is a solitary snake. A pair is formed only in April - May. It is the object of intensive hunting because of its beautiful skin, which is used for haberdashery, as well as its meat, which is considered a delicacy.
Dark anaconda or Deschauensei's Anaconda, lat. Eunectes deschauenseei. Lives in northern regions Brazil, on the coast of French Guiana, found in Guyana. Relatively small in size compared to others. Usually its length is slightly less than 2 meters, but some individuals up to 4 meters or more have been encountered. It prefers to settle in hard-to-reach places, so it has been little studied.
Bolivian anaconda, lat. Eunectes beniensis or Beni's anaconda is a medium-sized boa constrictor, usually about 4 meters in length. It lives in tropical forests in the Beni River valley in Bolivia. Anaconda Beni rare species, not common in other regions of South America, so it became known only in 2002. Scientists have still not decided whether to consider it a separate species or classify it as a Paraguayan anaconda.
Anaconda, like all boas, is still mysterious creatures, which people have a negative attitude towards and consider it one of the most dangerous and unpredictable predators. Even the origin of its name is still controversial. It is believed that the name “anaconda” appeared in South America from the Tamil phrase “copra” - which means killer, and “yanei” - elephant. In other versions, this word is translated as lightning barrel and others. All these names came from the homeland of these snakes. The largest anaconda in the world, 11.43 m long, was caught in the wetlands of Colombia. On at the moment In the New York Zoological Society there lives a green anaconda about 9 meters in length and weighing 130 kg.
Despite the general external resemblance, the anaconda differs from other types of boas and from pythons. All these snakes belong to the order Scaly, but the boa constrictor is a member of the pseudopod family, and the python is from the python family. All of them are non-poisonous and use one method of absorption of food, swallowing prey whole. Boa constrictors live primarily in Europe and Asia, although they are found in Madagascar, the Fiji Islands and New Guinea. There are about 60 species of them. This is what an emerald boa constrictor looks like.
Water boas live only in South America; these are all four types of anacondas listed above: green, Bolivian, Paraguayan and dark.
Pythons live in Asian countries, India, China and Indochina, Australia, Indonesia and Philippine Islands. There are about 22 species in total. The biggest one is reticulated python. The largest currently known in Japanese zoological garden, its length is 12.2 m, and its weight is more than 200 kg.
A significant difference between pythons and boas is reproduction. Boas give birth to live young, while pythons lay eggs, which then hatch into young. And boas and pythons, like most reptiles in normal circumstances slow creatures, but during the hunt they rush at the prey almost with lightning speed. They have developed night vision, good sense of smell. In addition, they have the property of thermolocation, thanks to which they detect living creature in almost complete darkness.
IN recent years There are quite a lot of lovers of exotic animals that they keep at home. These also include pythons, boas and anacondas, which are kept in special terrariums. Although it is not uncommon for these huge snakes to break free and cause a lot of trouble. In some Asian countries such as India, Thailand, Cambodia, local residents tame these huge snakes. They keep them in basements and provide them with food. Getting used to their owners and taking root in the house, these snakes protect the home from poisonous snakes, scorpions, phalanges, rats and other wild animals. A house that has its own python usually costs significantly more. Be that as it may, despite their negative characteristics and the generally negative attitude of people towards them, we have to admit that anacondas occupy equal rights specific place among other representatives of the earth's flora.
Video: Anaconda
The green giant anaconda lives in South America. The snake received this name for its size, ranging from 5 to 9 meters. The largest anaconda had reliable sources 11.43 meters long.
The greenish tint of this snake also played a role in its name. Anacondas of all types have round and oblong spots on their bodies. The Paraguayan anaconda is famous for its brightest coloring. Her yellow body is decorated with blue spots.
Females differ from males more large sizes and thickness. Characteristic feature these reptiles are sharp bad smell, which they publish in their presence.
The anaconda's diet consists of wild pigs, deer, birds, turtles, caimans and even jaguars. Wrapping itself around its prey, the snake squeezes it until it is completely suffocated, and then, with the help of its lower movable jaw, swallows the prey whole. Having “eaten” in this way, the anaconda can go without food for about a month. It should be noted that, contrary to its notoriety, the anaconda does not attack humans. On the contrary, the snake, having caught its smell, hastily retreats, since it itself is the object of hunting by the local population. It is believed that anaconda meat has high taste qualities.
The anaconda's entire life is spent near bodies of water. Here she hunts, sometimes basks in the sun on the shore or sits on the branches of a tree. Anaconda is an excellent swimmer and diver. The snake has special valves that close its nostrils, allowing it to stay in the water for a long time.
During a dry period, a snake can burrow into the muddy bottom of a reservoir and, falling into deep torpor, waits out the drought. As a rule, the female is pregnant at this time. Having safely waited out the drought, the female gives birth to about 40 cubs, which immediately after birth swim and hunt.
IN wildlife An anaconda can live about 10 years.
A few more photos of the caught anaconda.
Video: Anaconda swallowed too much prey. Anaconda Snake Pukes Out A Cow In A Jungle River
Anaconda is common name four types snake. And speaking with scientific precision, anacondas are a genus of snakes belonging to the subfamily of boas. You can see photos of boa constrictors on our website, follow this link for photographs and descriptions of all genera of snakes in the boa constrictor subfamily. On this page we will describe and provide photos only of representatives of the anaconda genus.
The giant anaconda is the first species we will look at; It is this species that is most often simply called anaconda. IN scientific literature This species is also called the common anaconda or green anaconda. The name green anaconda is a tracing paper (in linguistics, tracing paper is a borrowing with a literal translation) with English name This species of snake is green anaconda.
Some individuals of this species actually have a greenish tint to their skin. Here is a photo of a giant anaconda at an aquarium in Boston.
It is the species of giant anaconda that is the most close-up view snake of all modern species. Weight itself large anaconda reached almost one hundred kilograms. She was caught and measured in Venezuela, exact weight amounted to 97.5 kg with a length of 5.2 meters. It was a female; in this species, females are larger than males.
The local press sometimes reported encounters with individuals ten meters or more in length, but there is no reliable evidence of the existence of anacondas of such sizes.
The giant anaconda, like other anaconda species, leads a predominantly aquatic lifestyle. She prefers quiet ponds, such as lakes, oxbow lakes, low-flow river branches of the Amazon and Orinoco basins.
Giant anaconda after a successful hunt.
The giant anaconda sometimes crawls ashore and basks in the sun, but never moves very far from the water.
Photo - the face of a giant anaconda peeks out of the water.
The anaconda feels great underwater, it not only swims, but also dives well, and can not rise to the surface for a long time. When diving, her nostrils are closed with special valves.
In some habitats of this anaconda species, there are seasonal droughts. If a reservoir becomes shallow, anacondas either move to another, or bury themselves in the silt and hibernate. With the return of the rainy season, the snake awakens.
Like all snakes, anacondas shed. Their molting occurs under water. When kept in captivity, snakes often rub against the walls of pools, gradually pulling off their old skin.
Most of the year green anacondas spend alone, only in April-May, when the rainy season is in the Amazon, they gather in groups. This is a special time for them - their mating period begins.
Giant anacondas, like all other representatives of the boa constrictor genus, are ovoviviparous. After bearing the offspring for 6-7 months, the female gives birth to 25-40 cubs. The babies are 50-80 centimeters long and are completely independent from the first day. There are rare cases of an anaconda laying eggs.
Common anacondas feed on small animals. Lying in wait for prey near the water, the snake attacks it with lightning speed and then strangles it, tightly wrapping itself in rings around the victim’s body.
The only danger to the anaconda is big cat- jaguar. These cats are not afraid of water and can catch, kill and eat an anaconda, but this is rare.
Paraguayan anaconda
Paraguayan anaconda, or yellow anaconda - the species has a specific coloring, maximum length adult equal to four meters.
In terms of its lifestyle, the Paraguayan anaconda is practically no different from other representatives of its genus: it lives in water, occasionally crawling onto land, feeds on small animals, and does not reproduce by laying eggs, but gives birth to cubs.
The Paraguayan anaconda is easy to breed in captivity. Females give birth to from 7 to 40 cubs, births can occur both in water and on land. From the moment of birth, the cubs begin an independent life.
In the photo: Paraguayan anaconda at the zoo.
Anaconda Deschauensei
Anaconda Deschauensei is a little described species; it is only stated that it lives in the north-west of Brazil. I did not find a photo of this type of anaconda.
Eunectes beniensis
Eunectes beniensis is another little-described species of anaconda. In 2002, German herpetologist Lutz Dirksen first described it.
This species shares so many similarities with the Paraguayan anaconda that its future status as a separate species is unclear and in doubt.
The anaconda Eunectes beniensis is known in Bolivia and lives mainly in swampy areas. These snakes are found only in relatively untouched and sparsely populated regions, which are not so few in Bolivia and cover a wide area. The species' numbers are of minimal concern, but these snakes are hunted for their meat, skin and fat. She also attacks pets small sizes, such as dogs or cats, chickens and other birds, and for peasants this is a sufficient reason to kill a snake. With all this special measures Bolivian authorities have not yet taken special measures to protect this species, although there are plans to create the Rogaguado Lakes Nature Reserve to preserve the biological systems of the swamps.
Eunectes murinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Taxonomy on Wikispecies |
Images on Wikimedia Commons |
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Coming from the city of Antiocha to Cartagena, when we settled it, Captain Jorge Robledo and others found so many fish that we killed with sticks whatever we wanted to catch... In addition, there are very large snakes in the thickets. I want to tell and tell about something reliably known, although I have not seen it [myself], but I have met many contemporaries who deserve trust, and this is what it is: when, by order of the licentiate of St. Croix, Lieutenant Juan Creciano passed along this road in search of Licentiate Juan de Vadillo, leading with him several Spaniards, among whom were a certain Manuel de Peralta, Pedro de Barros, and Pedro Shimon, they came across a snake or snake, so large that it was 20 feet long, and very thick. His head is light red and his green eyes are terrifying, and since he saw them, he wanted to head towards them, but Pedro Shimon inflicted such a wound on him with a spear that even though he flew into [indescribable] rage, [still ] died. And they found in his belly a whole fawn [tapir?], as he was when he ate it; I will also say 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 reliably measured specimen, unique in size, 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.
Anaconda is not poisonous. Females are much larger and stronger than males.
Range and problem of conservation of the species
Due to the inaccessibility of anaconda habitats, it is difficult for scientists to estimate its numbers and monitor population dynamics. By at least In the International Red Book, the anaconda’s conservation status is listed in the “threat has not been 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 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.
Lifestyle
Anaconda leads an almost entirely aquatic lifestyle. It lives in quiet, low-flowing river branches, backwaters, oxbow lakes and lakes in 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 out onto the shore and basks in the sun, sometimes climbing onto the lower branches of trees. The anaconda swims and dives well and can remain under water for a long time, while its nostrils are closed with special valves.
When a reservoir dries up, the anaconda crawls into another or goes downstream of the river. During the dry period, which occurs in some anaconda habitats, the snake buries itself in the bottom silt and falls into a stupor, in which it remains until the rains return.
Frequent cases of cannibalism have been reported among anacondas.
Most of the time, anacondas are solitary, but they gather in groups during mating season, which coincides with the onset of rains and occurs in April-May in the Amazon. During this period, males find females by following an odorous trail on the ground, guided by the smell of pheromones released by the female. It is believed that anacondas also release substances that attract a partner into the air, but this issue requires further research. During the mating period, you can observe how several very excited males scurry around one calmly lying female. Like many other snakes, anacondas form a ball of several intertwined individuals. When mating, the male wraps himself around the female’s body, using the rudiments of the hind limbs for traction (as all pseudopods do). During this ritual, a characteristic grinding sound is heard.
The female bears the offspring for 6-7 months. During pregnancy, she loses a lot of weight, often losing almost half her weight. Anaconda is ovoviviparous. The female brings from 28 to 42 baby snakes (apparently, their number can reach up to 100) 50-80 cm long, but can occasionally lay eggs.
An adult anaconda has practically no enemies in nature; occasionally, however, not very much large anacondas eats jaguar or large caimans. The young die en masse from a variety of predators.
Subspecies
- Eunectes murinus murinus- type subspecies, found in the Amazon basin within Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru
- Eunectes murinus gigas- distributed in northern Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago.
These two subspecies were described a long time ago - in 1758 and 1801, respectively. They were distinguished by their color details and average sizes, which are slightly larger in the second subspecies.
Currently, it is believed that the giant anaconda does not form subspecies.
Other species of the genus Eunectes
In the anaconda genus, 3 more species of snakes are known, closely related to the common anaconda:
- South, or Paraguayan, also known as yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), found in 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 light eyes in the side spots. The southern anaconda is quite small in number, and therefore is very rarely found in zoos. In captivity, it eats fish and small animals. As for reproduction, there is one case known in captivity when a female, 9 months after mating, brought 8 baby snakes 55-60 cm long.
- Eunectes deschauenseei, found in northeastern Brazil and Guyana (scientifically described highlighting separate species in 1936). The color of this snake is dark spotted and reticulated.
Eunectes notaeus
- Eunectes beniensis- discovered quite recently, in 2002, in the upper reaches of the Beni River. Poorly studied.
Legends of the anaconda
Often in the descriptions of various “eyewitnesses” information is given about anacondas of monstrous length. It was not only amateurs who were guilty of this information. The famous British traveler to South America P. Fawcett wrote about snakes of incredible size, one of which he allegedly shot with his own hands:
“We went ashore and approached the snake with caution... We measured its length as accurately as possible: in the part of the body that protrudes from the water, it turned out to be forty-five feet and another seventeen feet were in the water, which together amounted to sixty-two feet. Its body was not thick with such a colossal length - no more than twelve inches ... Such large specimens as this one are not often 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 must look 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), a famous expert on South America, who nevertheless left dubious descriptions of the anaconda
Now, without exception, all such stories are considered fiction (especially since Colonel Fawcett cited many other absolutely false information in his notes). Strictly speaking, even the above-mentioned specimen with a length of 11.43 m was not documented according to all the rules, and in any case, it was apparently unique in length. It is very significant that at the beginning of the 20th century in the USA twice - once by President Theodore Roosevelt and the second time by the New York Zoological Society a prize of 5 thousand dollars was announced for an anaconda with a length of more than 30 feet (just over 9 m), but 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 defeat almost any animal in the jungle. Too much great growth will be energetically unjustified - in the conditions of a humid tropical forest relatively poor in large animals, it will be excessively big snake It simply won’t feed itself.
Equally fantastic are the stories about the hypnotic gaze of the anaconda, which supposedly 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 sound came from her bad breath; they say it has a stunning effect: the smell first attracts and then paralyzes the victim.”
Nothing of the kind modern science, including taking into account the extensive experience of keeping anacondas in zoos, does not recognize it. However, it is a fact that the anaconda emits a strong unpleasant odor.
Anaconda and man
Anacondas are often found near settlements. Domestic animals - pigs, dogs, chickens, etc. - often become prey for this snake. But the danger of the anaconda to humans, apparently, is greatly exaggerated. Isolated attacks on people are carried out by the anaconda, 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. The only reliable case - the death of a 13-year-old Indian boy swallowed by an anaconda - should be considered a rare exception. Another, recent [ When?], the case of death of an adult is hardly reliable. On the contrary, the anaconda itself often becomes prey for the aborigines. 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
- Anaconda- article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (Retrieved August 17, 2011)
- // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
- Zenkevich L. A. Life of animals. Vertebrates. T. 4, part 2: Amphibians, Reptiles. - M.: Education, 1969. - 487 p., p. 339.
- 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 academician. V. E. Sokolova. - M.: Rus. lang., 1988. - P. 275. - 10,500 copies. - ISBN 5-200-00232-X
- Kudryavtsev S.V., Frolov V.E., Korolev A.V. Terrarium and its inhabitants (review of species and maintenance in captivity). / Responsible editor V. E. Flint. - M.: Forest Industry, 1991. - P. 317. - 349 p. - ISBN 5-7120-018-2
- Systematic list of vertebrates in zoological collections as of 01/01/2011 // Information collection of the Eurasian regional association zoos and aquariums. Vol. 30. Interdepartmental collection. scientific and scientific method. tr. - M.: Moscow Zoo, 2011. - P. 304. - 570 p. - UDC:59.006 - ISBN 978-5-904012-09-0
- Darevsky I. S., Orlov N. L. Rare and endangered animals. Amphibians and reptiles / ed. V. E. Sokolova. - M.: Higher. school, 1988. - P. 338. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-06-001429-0