Search results
Anacondas are semiaquatic snakes of the genus Eunectes, including the green anaconda, the second longest snake in the world. They prey on aquatic animals and have a wide distribution in tropical South America, except for the Amazon basin.
- What Are Green Anacondas?
- Habitat
- Diet and Hunting
- Reproduction
- Conservation
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
A member of the boa family, South America’s green anaconda is the heaviest snake in the world. Its cousin, the reticulated python, can reach slightly greater lengths, but the enormous girth of the anaconda makes it almost twice as heavy. Green anacondas can grow to more than 29 feet, weigh more than 550 pounds, and measure more than 12 inches in di...
Anacondas live in swamps, marshes, and slow-moving streams, mainly in the tropical rain forests of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. They are cumbersome on land, but stealthy and sleek in the water. Their eyes and nasal openings are on top of their heads, allowing them to lay in wait for prey while remaining nearly completely submerged.
They reach their monumental size on a diet of wild pigs, deer, birds, turtles, capybara, caimans, and even jaguars. Anacondas are nonvenomous constrictors, coiling their muscular bodies around captured prey and squeezing until the animal asphyxiates. Jaws attached by stretchy ligaments allow them to swallow their prey whole, no matter the size, and...
Female anacondas retain their eggs and give birth to two to three dozen live young. Baby snakes are about 2 feet long when they are born and are almost immediately able to swim and hunt. Their lifespan in the wild is about ten years.
Though they originated in South America, green anacondas have spread through some Caribbean Islands and have been spotted in Florida. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, they are not yet established and encounters are unlikely—however, they are considered an invasive species because of their size, the variety of anim...
Learn about the green anaconda, the heaviest and one of the largest snakes in the world, living in South America. Find out how it hunts, reproduces, and why it is not evaluated by the IUCN.
- 3 min
Aug 23, 2024 · Learn about anaconda, a genus of large, constricting snakes found in tropical South America. Discover their natural history, reproduction, and conservation status.
- John P. Rafferty
Learn about the green anaconda, a non-venomous constrictor that can grow up to 30 feet long and 550 pounds heavy. Find out what it eats, how it hunts, and how it differs from other snakes.
Learn about the green anaconda, the world's heaviest and second longest snake, native to South America and Trinidad. Find out its taxonomy, description, distribution, ecology, behavior, and conservation status.
The anaconda is the heaviest snake in the world, and can grow to be nearly the length of a school bus. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoWILDSubscribe#NatGeoWI...
- 4 min
- 5.9M
- Nat Geo WILD
Learn about the four species of Anaconda, the largest snakes in the world, that live in the swamps and rivers of South America. Find out how they hunt, feed, reproduce and defend themselves against predators and humans.
