Green Anaconda – Gorgeous Yet Grievous

Posted in Wildlife A-Z | May 21, 2010 | Comment Now

Green anacondas are members of the boa family. The green anaconda, which is native to South America, is the largest snake on the planet. Its distant cousin is the reticulated python, which can reach similar lengths. The mammoth girth of the anaconda makes it heavy by two times.

Green anacondas can grow up to 29 feet. They can weigh nearly 550 pounds or 227 kg. In diameter they measure more than 30 centimeters. Female anacondas tend to be larger than their male counterparts. All anacondas originate in Southern America. Besides the green anaconda, other species include the yellow and Bolivian anacondas. They are smaller in comparison with the green anaconda.

Green Anaconda tend to inhabit marshes, swamps, and streams that move slowly. The tropical rainforests belonging to the Amazon and Orinoco basin serve as the natural habitat for these wonderful creatures. On land they move with a lot of difficulty. However, in water they are sleek and move stealthily.

The eyes and nasal openings of these creatures lie on top of their heads. This allows them to wait below water for prey. They are not completely submerged below water.

Birds, deer, wild pigs, caimans, capybara, turtles, and jaguars form the crux of their diet. They reach their amazing size due to such diets. Anacondas are constrictors but are non-venomous. They coil their bodies, which are muscular in nature, around their prey and squeeze till the prey suffocates. Their jaws are equipped with stretchy ligaments. This gives them the ability to swallow their prey whole, regardless of size. After consumption of a large meal, they can remain without food for weeks and months.

Female anacondas tend to retain their eggs. They give birth to nearly three dozen young ones at one go. Baby anacondas stretch up to two feet in length. They are able to swim immediately. They can even hunt from a very young age. They live for about ten years in the wild.