Anaconda is a snake from a separate genus of anacondas, a subfamily of boas, a scaly order, a class of reptiles.
Along with the python and the boa constrictor, the anaconda is one of the largest snakes in the world, its length is from 5 to 6 meters, and its weight is about 100 kg. The largest of the currently known has a length of about 9 meters, weight 130 kg.
The civilized world, relatively recently, learned about the existence of the anaconda - this viviparous snake that lives in the jungle South America.
Lifestyle and habitat
The anaconda lives in the dense, inaccessible jungles of the tropical part of South America in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, northeast Peru, Ecuador and northern Bolivia, eastern Paraguay and Guyana, French Guiana and the island of Trinidad, and it was not possible to study it at all so long ago. People learned the basic information about this large snake only in 1992, when the biologist Jesus Rivas, together with a group of scientists, studied the anaconda in its habitat, not far from Venezuela.
The body of the anaconda is designed so that with a thickness of its body of 14-15 cm, it swallows quite a large prey whole, and then its body stretches to the size of the animal that it swallowed. The color of these snakes is varied and depends on the species. There are grayish green, there are yellow, light brown and almost dark. The skin is scaly with rounded darker patches arranged in a checkerboard pattern. This coloration helps the anaconda to perfectly camouflage among coastal plants and algae.
Anaconda is ideally adapted to life in the water. Its long powerful body, consisting of only muscles, wriggling in the water like a powerful propeller, gives it the ability to swim quickly both on the surface of the water and in depth. Moreover, when it swims, the eyes and nostrils remain on the surface like those of crocodiles, and when immersed in water, the nostrils are closed with special valves. Eyes closed with a transparent protective film under water remain open, and she sees everything even in muddy water. The ability to slow down the heartbeat while using less oxygen allows her to stay underwater for long periods of time.
Anaconda is a carnivorous predator and feeds only on animal food. It eats everything it comes across. These are wild animals: tapirs, peccaries, turtles, small crocodiles and waterfowl. Often attacks domestic animals coming to the watering place: sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, geese, ducks and even dogs. It can hunt both in water and on land. In the water, usually the anaconda, hiding, waits for the victim, and when it is close, it rushes at it. In other cases, having good hearing, the anaconda, being under water, can hear the sounds of animals that have come to the watering hole for a hundred meters, quietly swim up, and then rush at the unsuspecting animal with a lightning throw. While on land, these cunning snakes can lurk on a trail leading to a watering place, or perch on thick, low-lying tree branches and, when the animal approaches, rush at it.
The anaconda does not have fangs or chewing teeth, they are not needed. But located almost at the same level, a continuous row of teeth works like a powerful vice. Once in such a vise, not a single creature can escape. Holding the prey, the anaconda wraps its body around it with multiple rings and strangles it until the victim stops breathing. After that, the anaconda swallows the prey whole, pulling on it like a stocking on a leg, stretching its mouth and throat. After that, 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. Then she goes hunting again. It is not customary for these snakes to reckon with kinship, they can devour each other.
When the anaconda is full, it loves to soak up 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 far from the reservoir, it does not crawl away and soon plunges into the water. If the lake suddenly dries up during the dry season, it tries to find a new body of water or burrows into the mud and bottom silt, moving into an anabiotic state, in which it remains until the first rains.
Anaconda leads an isolated, solitary lifestyle, but during the mating season, these snakes gather in groups for mating. Females are larger in size than males. Anaconda gives birth to live serpents. 7-8 months after mating events, the female gives birth 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 of them survive.
Rarely does anyone dare to attack an adult anaconda, therefore, 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 easily copes with a small cow. What can we say about a pig or a dog!
With such an impressive size, the anaconda is able to move silently and go unnoticed. In those places where she lives, the inhabitants of these areas are careful and attentive, believing that the anaconda can attack and kill. Attacks are very rare, and they fall into the category of exceptions. As observations show, the anaconda, in other matters, like all other snakes, sensing the approach of a person, is in a hurry to get out in the other direction. Obviously an exaggeration can be considered the stories of some eyewitnesses about their meeting with anacondas with a body length of 12 meters or more. Tales about the hypnotic abilities of the anaconda, which allegedly hypnotizes its victim with a glance, are also fabulous.
Anaconda is still considered a little studied reptile. In many countries, for the purpose of studying, they are kept in serpentaria, where they are under constant supervision. There are several cases of anacondas breeding in captivity. The life span of the anaconda in natural conditions has not been established, but in terrariums they live up to 20 years.
Types of anaconda
Four species are currently known: Green, Yellow, Dark and Bolivian. All of them lead a generally similar lifestyle, the differences are 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 in Brazil, and around the Orinoco River in Colombia. Often found in the meadows of Llanos in Venezuela, in Ecuador and Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia, Guiana and Peru. Occasionally, green anacondas have been seen in Florida. The color of this anaconda is green-olive on the back, yellowish on the belly. Dark, sometimes almost black spots stand out 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. The second largest after green. There are individuals reaching a length of 4.5 meters. They live in Paraguay, in Northern Argentina, 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. It feeds on fish, turtles, lizards, small caimans, waterfowl. Sometimes steals bird eggs. The Paraguayan anaconda is a solitary snake. A pair is formed only in April - May. It is an object of intense hunting due to the beautiful leather used for haberdashery, as well as meat, which is considered a delicacy.
Dark anaconda or Anaconda Deschauenseya, lat. Eunectes deschauenseei. It lives in the northern regions of Brazil, on the coast in French Guiana, is found in Guyana. Relatively small compared to others. Usually its length is slightly less than 2 meters, but some individuals up to 4 meters or more came across. It prefers to settle in hard-to-reach places, therefore it is little studied.
Lat. Eunectes beniensis or Beni's anaconda is a medium-sized boa constrictor, usually about 4 meters long. It lives in tropical forests in the Beni River Valley in Bolivia. Anaconda Beni is a rare species that is not common in other regions of South America, so it became known about it only in 2002. Scientists have not yet decided whether to consider it a separate species or classify it in the Paraguayan anaconda.
Anaconda, like all boas are still mysterious creatures, to which people treat negatively 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 a killer, and "yane" - an elephant. In other versions, this word is translated as a bolt of lightning and others. All these names come from the homeland of these snakes. The largest anaconda in the world, with a length of 11.43 m, was caught in the swampy area of Colombia. On the this moment in the New York Zoological Society lives a green anaconda about 9 meters long and weighing 130 kg.
Difference from boas and pythons
Despite the general external similarity, the anaconda differs from other types of boas and from pythons. All these snakes belong to the Scaly order, but the boa constrictor is a representative of the false-legged family, and the python is from the python family. All of them are not poisonous and use one way of eating food, swallowing the prey whole. Boas are found mainly in Europe and Asia, although they are found in Madagascar, the Fiji Islands and New Guinea. There are about 60 types of them. This is what an emerald boa constrictor looks like.
Water boas live only in South America, these are all the four types of anacondas listed above: green, Bolivian, Paraguayan and dark.
Pythons live in Asia, India, China and Indochina, Australia, Indonesia and the Philippine Islands. In total there are about 22 species. The largest of these is the reticulated python. The largest known now in the Japanese Zoological Garden, its length is 12.2 m, and its weight is more than 200 kg.
The essential difference between pythons and boas is the reproduction of offspring. Boa constrictors give birth to live cubs, and pythons lay eggs, from which cubs then hatch. Both boas and pythons, like most reptiles, are slow creatures in normal situations, but during the hunt they almost immediately rush to the victim. They have developed night vision, a good sense of smell. In addition, they have the property of thermolocation, due to which they detect Living being In the dark.
IN last years there are quite a few lovers of exotic animals that they keep at home. They 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 bring a lot of trouble. In some Asian countries, such as India, Thailand, Cambodia, locals tame these huge snakes. They keep them in basements and provide them with food. Getting used to the owners and taking root in the house, these snakes protect the home from poisonous snakes, scorpions, phalanxes, 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, as equals, occupy a certain place among other representatives of the earth's flora.
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 the anaconda, exceeding their true size by two to three times. This, of course, is all fairy tales and fictions, once transferred as official data. Everything is much more modest, anaconda is really the most large snake but only statistically. She is also quite calm and such large prey as a person does not interest her.
Origin of the species and description
Anacondas belong to the subfamily of boas of the false-legged family, scaly order, reptile class. Experts are increasingly inclined to the absence of subspecies in the common anaconda. According to other sources, four varieties of anaconda are still distinguished, each of which differs slightly in size, color and habitat.
- Giant anaconda;
- Paraguayan;
- Deshauerskaya;
- Anaconda Eunectes beniensis.
Anaconda, like boas, has a small head, but the body is somewhat more massive, it even looks disproportionate. The length of the snake can reach 5 - 6 meters, but not 9 - 11 or 20, as mentioned in some sources. Maximum weight 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 able to swallow prey almost equal in weight to themselves. If a snake weighs under a hundred, then it will not be difficult to swallow a person and digest him. But still, he is large and smart for a snake, and all known cases of attacks on humans indicate that this happened by mistake.
Appearance and features
Anaconda is the largest snake, and in length it is inferior to the reticulated python, but in terms of 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 individuals a little larger. According to experts, anacondas can reach a length of 6.7 meters and a weight of 130 kg.
The average length of the snake is 3-4 meters, and the weight is 50-70 kg. The diameter of the reptile reaches 35 cm, swallowing the victim is stretched to the desired size. Snakes grow all their lives, the first years are much more intense than after, but it can be safely assumed that the largest individuals are of a respectable age.
Video: Anaconda
The head is small compared to the body, but the open mouth is huge and capable of stretching, like the pharynx. This allows the anaconda to pay less attention to the volume of the victim. The teeth are short, they can bite painfully. But the fangs are absent, if the victim is swallowed, they would only interfere. Saliva is harmless and there are no poisonous glands. The wound will be painful, but safe for life.
The color of the anaconda masks it against the background of its habitats. These are reservoirs, shallow water, tropics. The body color is close to marsh, gray-green. There are two rows of dark, brown, brown spots on the back. They are round or oblong up to 10 cm in diameter, solid color, alternate in a checkerboard pattern. And on the sides there are completely lighter stripes 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 habitat of the anaconda is almost the entire mainland - South America, except for its southern part. Of course, the climate at all latitudes is not suitable for the snake to live, since it is already a very long stretch from north to south near the mainland. To the east of the Andes, countries such as Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, French Guiana serve as the habitat of the anaconda. Separately allocate the island of Trinidad.
If considered by subspecies, then the giant anaconda lives in all the tropics. Paraguayan respectively in Paraguay, as well as Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and northern Bolivia. Deshauer has only been seen in northern 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 a strong current; they prefer calmness to match their character. 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 on the shore or trees in the open sun, but they need moisture, they make sure that they are near a body of water. The rough surface of the belly in the form of scales helps them move on land. A powerful muscular body uses the friction of the outer cover and, thus, bending in every possible way, moves quickly.
If the reservoirs dry up, the snake cannot exist normally. To survive difficult times, she buries herself in the bottom of the former swamp, in silt and slush, and can become numb until better times.
What does the 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 it is. However, this is not always easy, and prey of such dimensions will not go into the mouth on its own. It happens the other way around - when trying to attack, for example, she herself becomes a victim. But the fact remains.
Nevertheless, the basis of the diet of the anaconda is made up of smaller living creatures, namely:
- small mammals (, capybaras, agoutis, even sheep and dogs near the territory Agriculture may become its prey);
- reptiles (frogs, iguanas, lizards);
- turtles;
- waterfowl;
- their own kind (pythons, and even smaller anacondas themselves);
- fish on rare occasions.
The hunt goes like this: the anaconda lurks in the water and watches the potential prey. Her eyes do not blink, for which people interpret her gaze as a process of hypnosis. At the right moment, the anaconda pounces on the victim with the whole body at once, without even using its teeth. Her body squeezes 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 does not need to worry about her food for a week, or even months in advance. She will gradually be 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. The next time the anaconda wants to dine will not be 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. Also among the anacondas, cases of cannibalism are common.
Features of character and lifestyle
The nature 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 wild nature this is exactly what the calculation was made for, the anaconda merges with environment and no one touches her. Like all snakes, anacondas periodically undergo molting. Then they need to make auxiliary movements. They curl and rub against the bottom and stones in the pond. The rind 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 crawl out to lie in the sun or wrap around a tree trunk, but soon they calmly return to their familiar environment. If the snakes see that their pond is drying up, then they are looking for another one. Often they follow the current to greater depths of the rivers. During the drought period, anacondas burrow into the mud, looking for a cooler place with plenty of water. There they can go into a torpor for months before the rains come and the rivers fill.
Anacondas are so quiet animals that if you do not look for them specifically, you may not find them. Perhaps that is why they were singled out as a separate species only at the end of the 20th century. From the sounds they make only a faint hiss. The lifespan of anacondas is not exactly known. They have been shown to have a low survival rate in captivity. Terrariums are able to keep anacondas alive for 5 to 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 life span of an anaconda in captivity is 28 years. Again, it is unlikely that an individual is able to survive all natural disasters without consequences, and probably somewhere in the range of these data is the average life expectancy of this species.
Social structure and reproduction
Anacondas lead a solitary lifestyle, they do not contact each other. Moreover, they can attack and eat their relative if he is inferior to them in size. Only during the mating season do they begin to treat each other with indifference.
Males start chasing females. They are easy to find by the fetid trail that they leave on purpose when they feel ready to mate. Often several contenders crawl for one female at once. The males start fighting each other. They wrap around and squeeze the opponent, intertwine into a ball. Unable to withstand pressure, it is soon removed. The advantage, as a rule, is with larger males. The winner gets the opportunity to mate with the female.
The gestation period lasts about six months. During this time, the female almost does not move and does not eat anything. She loses a lot of weight, it happens to be reduced by half. Anacondas are ovoviviparous reptiles. The cubs hatch from eggs while still in the womb and crawl out as kites, about half a meter long. There are 30-50 of these in one litter. Little snakes are ready for independent existence. Few manage 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. Few can match her strength. Even crocodiles, far from always attacking an anaconda, can overcome it. The danger to these creatures threatens more in childhood, while they are not yet so strong. First of all, older anacondas or pythons can eat them. And they can easily deal with them. But if the anaconda succeeds, despite all the difficulties of a child's life, to become an adult, few people will interfere with her to exist peacefully.
For adult anacondas, only people are of great danger. Indians hunters kill them with the help of various tools. There are no failures. If a person wants to get himself a dead snake, he will do it. They are mined 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 like it very much. The snake skin is also very valuable. It is used for fashion clothes and accessories. Snake skin is used by designers in furniture decoration and for various kinds decor.
Population and species status
Anacondas need such habitat conditions that a person approaches quite rarely. It is very difficult to conduct expeditions in the jungle, to explore the reservoirs 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, it is always possible to find the right number of individuals. 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 multitude.
Of course, much is not written about anacondas in the Red Book, the conservation status indicates that “the threat has not been assessed.” Nevertheless, experts believe that this species is out of danger and has all the necessary conditions for a comfortable existence and reproduction. This is true - rainforests, jungles and swamps are the least susceptible to human invasion, development, tourism development and environmental pollution. Therefore, the factors that interfere with the normal life of anacondas will not reach these places so soon. Anaconda can live in peace, its population is not yet threatened.
Anaconda is one of the few reptiles that have survived almost unchanged after many millennia of existence on Earth. Today we will look at detailed description this snake, as well as information about its habitat, nutrition and the possibility of keeping at home.
Description and appearance
There are many legends about the anaconda, sometimes so incredible that they cast doubt on the existence of a snake in real world, therefore, it is necessary to consider information about who the anaconda is, whether such snakes exist on the planet or not, what kind of creature it is and what they are.
The Anaconda genus is just one species of snake that has the same name 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, so the name "water boa" can be found in ancient literature. 
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 largest 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 characteristic
Let us consider in more detail what the anaconda looks like, what are its dimensions: how many meters it reaches in length, how much it weighs.
The main color of the snake is grayish-green, on the body there are two rows of brown spots in a checkerboard pattern, having a rounded or oblong shape. The sides of the body are decorated with small yellow spots, which are surrounded by black rings. Thanks to this coloring, the snake can be effectively camouflaged during the hunting period.
Anaconda does not belong to the category of poisonous snakes, and its saliva is not capable of causing paralysis in the victim. As for the size, there is eyewitness information about the existence of individuals whose length exceeded 6 m, but they are not registered as official.
Based on official data, the largest anaconda is the discovered female, which has a maximum length for the species - 5.21 m, and its weight was 97.5 kg. 
The average body length of these animals usually does not exceed 5 m in length, in addition, females have a larger and longer body than males. The average body weight of an adult is 50 kg.
Did you know? Anaconda, like ordinary snakes, is able to throw off old skin: this process takes place in water, at the bottom of the reservoir. To facilitate shedding, the snake rubs against the bottom, and the old skin peels off much faster.
Like other reptiles, these creatures have an axial skeleton, divided into two sections - the trunk and 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 the bones, which are interconnected 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 nostrils and eyes of the creature are located high on the head, the animal is able to be completely in the water - this simplifies the process of hunting. This feature of the arrangement of organs is very similar to crocodiles. 
The anaconda has short teeth, so the victim receives shallow bites, and if she is lucky to escape, the wounds usually heal quickly and without any special consequences.
Often the anaconda is compared with a python: both animals have a similar body structure, but, despite the obvious similarity, 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 quickly enough, especially during the hunting period. At the time of the throw for prey, its speed on land can reach 40 km / h, which is associated with a very powerful musculature of the body.
The reptile has the strongest muscles capable of exerting a compressive force equal to 16 kg per 1 sq. cm of body, or more than 1.5 tons per 1 sq. m, so it can suffocate the victim in a matter of seconds.
Anaconda is able to move 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 lifestyle of the creature differs from other snakes primarily in that it prefers most spend time in the water. Many are interested in how long this reptile lives, and the answer to this question is 11 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity.
area
Let's take a closer look at where the animal lives. Anaconda is distributed throughout the tropical part South American mainland. The snake thrives 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 nestling 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 burrows into the silt and falls into a stupor, and lives in this state until the reservoir is filled with water again. 
How it hunts and what it eats
Food for a reptile in the wild is different types mammals, birds and reptiles that it expects by the water. Most often among the victims of the anaconda there are agouti, waterfowl, iguanas, and the snake can also feast on bakers, capybaras and caimans. The easiest prey for the creature are turtles, tegus and small snakes.
Consider how the anaconda kills. The animal does not make any special efforts to catch the prey: it often lies in wait for the prey in a motionless state and abruptly grabs it in a lightning throw, then, wrapping the rings around the body, proceeds to suffocate 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 the mating season comes, they form groups. This time falls on the rainy season - April-May. Females secrete the enzyme, leaving it on the ground and thus attracting males.
In the process of mating, the male wraps around the female, using the rudiments of the hind limbs to clutch. The process of bearing the offspring stretches for 7 months - at this time, the weight of the snake is significantly reduced, almost twice. 
One female can reproduce up to 42 kites, 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.
snake enemies
Consider who can defeat the anaconda in a fight and who is stronger than the described animal. Adult females, due to their large body size, have practically no enemies, while males more often become victims.
Cougars and jaguars, giant otters, Orinoc crocodiles and black caimans can prey on them. Often adult males and especially cubs can be eaten by crocodile caimans.
How to escape from the anaconda
There have been quite a few cases of reptile attacks on humans - perhaps this is due to the fact that such incidents happen deep in the jungle, and therefore remain unregistered, and it is still not clear whether anacondas eat people intentionally.
Nevertheless, the observations that were made by man allow us to put forward the theory that an adult animal will not dare to attack a person for the first time. An attack is possible if the snake is disturbed 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 himself, the animal bites on any part of the body, which can then swell.
Important! If you do not have an allergic reaction to the components of anaconda saliva, then the swelling will soon pass, 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
For home content only the Paraguayan subspecies is suitable, but only professional terrariumists are advised to start such a dangerous creature at home.
For an animal to feel comfortable, it needs to be provided with very large terrarium, about the size of a small room that will house a large swimming pool, since the creature simply needs to be in the water regularly.
Suitable food for rats and rabbits. Small individuals are recommended to be fed once every 15 days, adults - once a month. In order not to provoke the aggressiveness of the animal in relation to the person, you should not give him live food. 
The terrarium must be cleaned every day and the water in the pool changed; it is worth maintaining a very high humidity in the dwelling - at least 90%. The general temperature in the terrarium should be at least +25 °C, it is imperative to provide the anaconda with a warm corner with a temperature of +30 °C.
The reptile is equipped with 2 shelters, coconut mulch and peat mixture are well suited as a substrate, snags are also installed so that the snake can crawl over them.
Precautions for keeping an anaconda at home include the following items:
- Do not be alone when communicating with a snake - it is necessary that there is someone to save you in case of an animal attack.
- You should not take a domestic anaconda in your arms - these snakes do not tolerate the invasion of personal space, so they often bite or squeeze their hands, up to fractures.
- Close the terrarium tightly so that the snake cannot get out of it on its own.
- It is desirable 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 a room where people rest or sleep.
Important! When the terrarium is open, in no case let pets and small children close to the snake, as there is a high probability 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. Keeping an anaconda at home is not advised, but if you decide to get such a peculiar friend, you need to try very hard and spend money to provide for the snake necessary conditions for a normal life.
Anaconda: video
There are many legends about huge snake, which is found in the jungle, weighs 300 kg and swallows people like candy. Such stories are not entirely true and should not be believed in them. Let the directors of American cinema believe these myths and shoot exciting horror films. But we still try to figure out whether this giant snake really exists or is it fiction? And is the anaconda really so dangerous?
The anaconda snake, of course, exists. But around it there were many false legends. And the first myth, of course, is related to the size of the snake. How are they not exaggerated! In fact, the length of the anaconda does not exceed 5 meters, and the weight is 70 kg. It is indeed a very massive snake. But there are pythons much longer than it. Jungle dwellers claim to have seen specimens up to 12 m long, calling them "Amazon stranglers" and "fisherman killers". locals in general, they like to scare tourists, so they like to come up with scary “tales”.
Myth #2: Poisonous or not?
Anaconda not poisonous snake. When in the movies they show you that she releases poison on the victim, you know - this is a fiction. Anaconda hunts in a very different way. She sneaks up on the victim, abruptly jumps out and strangles. And then he swallows.
Myth #3: Eating Big Prey
Anaconda does not eat large animals. Only if she's lucky. Basically, its diet includes small animals: rodents, lizards, small birds and other snakes. And sometimes they can eat relatives. Large individuals can attack crocodiles and wild boars, but still small animals form the basis of their diet.
Myth #4: Danger for people
How many rumors, how many legends? And how many films have been made about terrible snake giants ?! Anacondas don't touch people. Only a few cases of such attacks have been recorded so far. Most likely they were connected with the hindsight of people. American movies are not true. These snakes do not rush under the waters of South America and do not swallow everyone. But the anaconda should be afraid of people. That's who the real hunters are. The aborigines make a sausage from the jungle storm, which has a sweet taste and is in demand.
Myth #5: Life in the jungle
The anaconda spends most of its life in the water. But during a drought, the snake has to get out on land. She tries to find herself some kind of puddle or swamp and sits there waiting for the rain. By the way, she is waiting for prey, sitting in this water, and does not wander through the jungle at all in search of a victim.
Myth #6: Extinction
In the movies, they show that such a huge anaconda is allegedly “one for the whole village” and after her death the world will become a better place, because there are no more anacondas. And that's not true! With the number of these snakes, everything is in order. They are found in hard-to-reach places, so only experienced local hunters can get to them. Other animals rarely attack them. Therefore, anacondas sit quietly in swamps and eat past rodents. With the reproduction of these snakes, everything is in order. At the beginning of the rainy season, the female secretes a pheromone that attracts males. Several dozen males coil around the female and fill it with their seed. Future mom bears children for almost half a year. She does not lay eggs, but gives birth to small snakes ready for life. 30-40 cubs are born at a time.
There are snakes like snakes, and there is a giant anaconda. A living nightmare that lives in the mysterious jungles of South America, the queen of predators, patiently waiting for someone to make the last mistake of their lives and come closer to her.
What does a giant anaconda look like?
The first step is to figure out how big the giant or green anaconda is. The answer will depend on who you ask the question to. Horror lovers, spitting saliva all around with excitement, will trumpet about a snake, according to rumors, caught in the Amazon basin, whose weight was 2067 kg, and the length exceeded 40 meters. Herpentologists will tell you that they recognize the specimen caught in Suriname as the largest anaconda. That snake was only some 5.2 meters and 97.5 kg. That is, it was about the length of a passenger car and only weighed as much as a bear. If you get to the bottom of paleontologists, they will tell you about the prehistoric Titanoboa snake, the largest ever living in the world, with a weight of 1135 kg and a length of 15 meters. And what about the anaconda? While prehistoric animals are extinct, my friend, and if any creature on earth manages to surpass their size, then welcome to Jurassic Park! So let's still stick to herpentologists.
On average, the giant anaconda grows up to 3-4.5 meters and weighs about 45 kg. Such parameters make anacondas the heaviest snakes in the world, but not the longest. Here the reticulated python with an average length of 6 meters and a record of 7.7 meters will intercept the palm. However, there is also a diameter! And he is at the green anaconda about three or four rolling pins folded together for dough, that is, about 30-35 cm. So the title of the most massive snake is again with anacondas.
The muscular body of the reptile is olive green, with oval brown or black spots on the back and ocher-yellow spots with a black border on the sides. The head of the anaconda is narrow, with eyes and nostrils on the top of its head - a trick tested on crocodiles, which also hide their entire body under water and expose only their eyes and blowholes. From the eyes to the jaws there are characteristic black stripes, like the war paint of the Indians.
Scientific name of the species
In Latin, the Anaconda genus is called Eunectes (this is, if you ever need to show off your intelligence powerfully), which means “good swimmer”. Water is indeed their element. On the ground, they are only silent, but in the water they are still swift and graceful. Gravity, what! The speed of a swimming anaconda is about 30 km / h, which is three times the maximum swimming speed available to a person.
For the name of the species - murinus - the anacondas obviously shoved a bribe to some scientist, since it means "mouse-eaters". Well, technically, they can eat mice too, but they have a bunch of mice like a bag of sunflower seeds to a human.
Who and how do anacondas eat
Anacondas are at the top of the food chain. And there are enough links in this chain, so the menu of the giant snake includes:
- rodents;
- lizards;
- birds;
- amphibians;
- various mammals.
An adult anaconda may want to try a caiman or suddenly encroach on a jaguar. Such a variety in the diet can be costly for a snake, since it will eat them, but along the way, it will also get a narrow muzzle and a thick body. And as a result, it can rapidly move down the food chain, since an anaconda dying from injuries, as well as a dead snake, is no longer a thunderstorm of the jungle, but a whole feast for all carnivores and non-squeamish.
Now about the process itself. Anacondas are not poisonous, but that doesn't make anyone feel better. They have teeth - as many as six rows. Two on the lower jaw and two parallel rows on the upper. They are needed not for chewing, but to hold the victim, who is somehow selfishly not ready to stand and wait for them to wrap themselves around her. Anaconda victims don't die of suffocation. The snake just gradually squeezes the blood flow and hello, brain ischemia. Often it doesn’t even come to this, because if the anaconda caught the prey at the watering hole, it will simply drag it under the water, and then death from drowning is more likely.
In principle, the anaconda does not need at all for someone to die, it is quite enough for him to stop jerking. After that, it is already possible to start the process of swallowing, which is always carried out from the head so that the limbs and tails do not spread out. The jaws of the anacondas are elastic, that is, on elastic ligaments, while there are two lower jaws, and they can move independently of each other. After the carcass is pushed down the throat, the work of the muscles begins, contracting so as to finally deliver food to the stomach.
Do anacondas eat people
And this is one of the most interesting questions! Potentially, a snake is able to swallow a person, especially a small one. But each person is potentially capable of much. The fact that you, for example, can eat worms does not mean that they are included in your diet even on a non-daily basis.
However, there are hundreds of stories about killer anacondas - what to do with them? Take a deep breath and face the facts. There is not a single documented case of a giant anaconda attacking a person. These snakes, of course, have their own sources of distinguishing prey, such as thermal perception and a vasomotor organ that provides additional nuances of aromas, but they are unlikely to be able to determine by smell that a group of scientists is in front of them and refuse to diversion.
In 2014, the Discovery Channel conducted an experiment for its film Eaten Alive. They dressed naturalist Paul Rosoli in a special suit that could withstand the snake's teeth and the force of its constriction, smeared it with pig's blood and slipped it under the nose of a giant anaconda. The snake went nuts and tried to urgently hide in the jungle. They caught her and began to poke a naturalist in the mug. Anaconda tried to screw up again. It is not known how many times this scene was repeated, but, in the end, the snake realized that you couldn’t just get away from these crazy people and, to the glee of the entire film crew, attacked and began to squeeze Paul. But somehow without a twinkle and "get rid".
It is not known what the TV people were going to do from the moment when the snake still swallows the bait, it can drag Paul back by the rope, but it didn’t come to that. Since the suit prevented the pressure, the scene dragged on. The naturalist's brain turned on from extreme massage and it dawned on him that until he loses consciousness, no one will eat him. And he won't lose consciousness until the suit cracks. But when it cracks… In short, Paul yelled that the snake would break his arm and he didn’t sign up for it, his comrades rushed to help, freed him from the terrible anaconda, and she finally joyfully walked away, giving herself a vow to stay away from these two-legged cretins as far as possible.
After the broadcast of the film, the channel was flooded with letters. People were very sympathetic to the anaconda and promised to crush the film crew themselves next time if they really wanted to.
Breeding Secrets
On the entire long body of the anaconda, protected by scales, there is only one weak spot - the cloaca. It is from her that during the mating season, the female begins to ooze discharge, densely saturated with pheromones. Leaving behind a fragrant path that says - "Vasya, I am yours forever," the lady lies down by the water and waits. "Vasya" is usually drawn up to 12 pieces. They all wrap themselves around the object of their desire and try to get in touch with the lady. This collective fiddling can last up to a month, until the lady finally decides that she has chosen a partner and opens her “gates” to him. After the fertilization process has passed, the male will leave a special wax “cork” in the cloaca.
Here, in fact, it would be nice for everyone to dump, but this is not always possible. The female will have to carry the eggs for seven months, until the cubs hatch from them, right inside. And caring mothers do not hunt all this time, so as not to harm the offspring. Going without food for a long time is not a problem for cold-blooded snakes, but before it starts, why not have a last bite? What’s more, you don’t even have to stress. While the males are moving away from the love fog, you can choose one that is not the longest and gobble it up, muttering, “to bite!”.
Snakes are born completely independent. “I gave birth to you, and then you yourself somehow,” the woman in labor says and dumps into the sunset. Considering that there are from 20 to 40 individuals in one litter, it would have been impossible to go through the jungle for a long time without crushing the tail of the anaconda, if it were not for this disregard for offspring. A small anaconda is only half a meter long and weighs half a kilo, although it can swim and hunt from birth, it cannot compete with most predators for the time being. However, children grow rapidly and reach adult size in four years.
Where are the giant anacondas found?
Anacondas love to laze around in the water, waiting for suitable prey. If they have a choice, snakes will prefer calm waters, with trees growing near the edge, to sometimes get out to bask in the sun or hang in the shade on a tree, airing. In this sense, the Brazilian Amazon basin is ideal for them, but they are not limited to this territory. You can meet a giant anaconda throughout South America east of the Andes up to northern Paraguay.
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