Introduction
The anaconda is a huge non-venomous aquatic snake. These animals are found in South America's tropical rainforests. The name Anaconda is usually used to refer to only the Green Anaconda but there are actually four species, all of which are members of the boa family. On this page you will find a list of interesting Anaconda facts written for both kids and adults. This information includes where they live, what they eat, and how big they are.Click here for a great selection of Amazon.com Anaconda books.
Basic Anaconda Facts
- All anacondas are semi-aquatic spending most of their time in swamps, and slow-moving streams. In fact the first part of all four species names (the generic name) is Eunectes which is derived from Greek for good swimmer.
- These animals do not maneuver well on land but in the water they maneuver very well. They all have eyes and nostrils set high on their heads enabling them to remain almost completely submerged while waiting for prey to approach.
- Anacondas prey on numerous animals including deer, turtles, birds, capybara, caimans, and pigs. They lie in wait submerged in shallow water. When a target is close enough they attack with lighting quick speed. They coil their body around the captured animal and squeeze until the animal cannot breath and eventually dies. This snakes jaws are able to open wide enough to allow them to swallow their prey whole. A big enough meal will allow them to go months without feeding again.
Green Anaconda Facts
- This species name is Eunectes murinus.
- The Green Anaconda is by far the heaviest snake in the world. They can weigh as much as 550 lbs (227 kgs). They can reach an amazing length of 29 feet (8.8 meters) or more which is slightly less than the longest snake in the world; the reticulated python.
- This snakes diameter measures more than twelve inches (thirty centimeters).
- The Green Anaconda is also referred to as the Common Anaconda.
- Female Green Anacondas are significantly larger than the males of the species.
- It is indigenous to the wetlands, east of the Andes, in South America; including the Guiana?s, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Brazil.
Yellow Anaconda Facts
- This species name is Eunectes notaeus.
- This species in smaller than the Green Anaconda reaching an average length of eleven to fourteen feet (3.3 to 4.4 meters). They commonly weigh about fifty five to seventy eight pounds (twenty five to thirty five kilograms) but can grow much larger. The females are larger than the males.
- It ranges in color from yellow to light green. It has black or brown patches and streaks.
- Like its cousin the Green Anaconda it lives in the wetlands of South America. However the Yellow Anaconda prefers regions that are further south than the Green Anaconda. This species can be found in southern Brazil, eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina.
Dark-Spotted Anaconda Facts
- This species name is Eunectes deschauenseei.
- The Dark-Spotted Anaconda is approximately the same weight and length as the yellow anaconda.
- This animal is brown and has large dark spots on its body.
- The Dark-Spotted Anaconda is not as common as the Green or Yellow Anacondas. This rare species natural habitat is northern Brazil and French Guiana.
- Like the other Anaconda species it lives in wetlands.
Bolivian Anaconda Facts
- This species name is Eunectes beniensis.
- This species of Anaconda can grow up to thirteen feet.
- The Bolivian Anaconda is much less common than the Green Anaconda. In fact it is only found in Bolivia although there have been unconfirmed spotttings of it in Brazil.
- It is brown with some black spots across its body.
- Very little is known about this species of anaconda because it was just discovered in 2002 and much more research is needed.