Does the strongest male win? Not necessarily! Adult females are much larger and stronger and may choose which male (or males) they prefer. Surprisingly, anacondas sometimes cluster in a breeding ball that may have 2 to 12 males coiled around one female-and they may stay like this for up to 4 weeks! This breeding ball appears to be a slow-motion wrestling match among the males for an opportunity to mate. The males constantly taste the air with their tongue to pick up a female’s scent messages. Biologists have observed that adult female anacondas do not move around much during the breeding season, yet males seem to flock to them from all directions. The female is thought to leave a scent trail to attract a male, but she may also produce some sort of airborne chemical signal. Having a ball! Anaconda courtship often lasts several weeks during the spring season. Anacondas can go weeks or months without eating following a big meal.Īt the San Diego Zoo, anacondas eat pre-killed rodents and rabbits. The anaconda often takes its meal into the water, where perhaps the buoyancy helps maneuver the food to the proper position for swallowing. Jaws attached by stretchy ligaments allow the snake to swallow its prey whole. Like its boa brethren, the anaconda kills its prey by coiling its muscular body around the creature and squeezing until the prey can no longer breathe. They are not very active hunters but instead use a “watch and wait” approach as their prey swims by or comes to the water to drink. The diet consists of wild pigs, deer, birds, turtles, capybaras, caimans, and even jaguars. Anacondas rest and sun themselves along the bank of a river or in tree branches that hang over water along riverbanks so the snakes can quickly drop into the water if needed. Their eyes and nasal openings are on top of their head, so the snakes can wait for prey while remaining nearly hidden by the water. The anaconda likes to be in or near water and spends a large part of its time in the murky waters that help to hide, as well as support, its tremendous body.Īnacondas are excellent swimmers and divers. This hot, humid region with its dense foliage offers excellent habitat for such a large snake, which fits well into this world. Green Anaconda - Photo: Patrick K.The anaconda lives over a vast area of tropical river systems and swamps in South America, east of the Andes. After six to eight months the anaconda babies are being born and are about 28-35 inch (70-90 cm) long at birth. They try to push away the others to be able to successfully copulate. Sometimes several male snakes are involved in this. The male snake twines around its female partner, which looks like a knot and is called a “breeding ball”. In most cases the snakes visit shallow waters during the mating season. Green Anaconda - Photo: Vadim Petrakov/Shutterstock Reproduction The capybara has a remarkable size with a length of 53 inch (134 cm) and a shoulder height of 24 inch (60 cm). Anacondas do not hunt elephants but capybaras, small crocodiles and stags. The name anaconda derives from the Tamil word “anaikolra”. Green Anaconda - Photo: Vadim Petrakov/Shutterstock Origin Where Does the Name Anaconda Come From? Yes, the snakes feel right at home in the water, but from time to time they also like to hang out on branches to dry. The prey will be devoured head first, and it takes up to six (!) hours until it reaches the stomach. The victim is then unable to breathe and even blood circulation comes to a stop. They wrap themselves around their prey and suffocate it. Campbell/Shutterstock Senses and Abilities Are Anacondas Poisonous?Īnacondas are not poisonous nor venomous. Or would you dare to get into a water populated by anacondas? “Please don’t move, where is my tape measure?”ĭo you want to know how big the anaconda’s ancestors were? Read our article Biggest Snake of the World! This makes it so difficult to determine their actual size. Normally, anacondas can never be seen completely when moving through shallow waters and constricting their prey. The largest anaconda is said to have been 17 feet (5.21 meters) in length and weighed 214 lb (97.5 kg). On average, the males are about 3 m long and females about 13-16 feet (4-5 meters) long. “992 lb (450 kg) anaconda discovered!” “Anaconda with a record length of 98 feet (30 meters) found!” The news feature headlines like this all the time. There are several rumors related to the size and the weight of the water boa. Anatomy and Appearance The Longest Snake in the World? The biggest anaconda is one of the biggest snakes worldwide and primarily lives in bigger waters.
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