Anaconda is common name four kinds snake. And speaking with scientific accuracy, anacondas are a genus of snakes belonging to the subfamily of boas. You can see photos of boas on our website, at this link photos and descriptions of all genera of snakes in the subfamily of boas. On this page we will describe and provide photos of only representatives of the anaconda genus.

The giant anaconda is the first species we'll look at; it is this species that is most often called simply - anaconda. IN scientific literature this species is also called common anaconda or green anaconda. The name green anaconda is a tracing paper (in linguistics, tracing paper is a borrowing with a literal translation) with English name this species of green anaconda snake.

Some individuals of this species do have a greenish skin tone. Here is a photo giant anaconda at the aquarium in Boston.

It is the view of the giant anaconda that is the most large view snake, of all modern species. The mass of the largest anaconda reached almost one hundred kilograms. She was caught and measured in Venezuela exact weight amounted to 97.5 kg with a length of 5.2 meters. It was a female, in this species the females are larger than the males.

In the local press, reports sometimes appeared of encounters with specimens ten meters or more long, but there is no reliable evidence of the existence of anacondas of this size.

The giant anaconda, like other types of anacondas, leads a predominantly aquatic lifestyle. She prefers quiet water bodies, such as lakes, oxbow lakes, low-flowing arms of the Amazon and Orinoco basin rivers.

Giant anaconda after a successful hunt.


The giant anaconda sometimes crawls ashore and basks in the sun, but never move far from the water.

Photo - the muzzle of a giant anaconda looks out of the water.


Anaconda feels great underwater, it not only swims, but also dives well, it can not rise to the surface for a long time. When diving, her nostrils are closed with special valves.


In some habitats of this species of anacondas, there are seasonal droughts. In the case of shallowing of the reservoir, anacondas either move to another, or burrow into the silt and hibernate. With the resumption of the rainy season, the snake wakes up.


Like all snakes, anacondas shed. Their molting takes place underwater. When kept in captivity, snakes often rub against the walls of the pools, gradually pulling off their old skin.


Green anacondas spend most of the year alone, only in April-May, when the rainy season is in the Amazon, they gather in groups. This time is special for them - they begin the mating period.

Giant anacondas, like all other representatives of the genus of boas, are ovoviviparous. After bearing the offspring for 6-7 months, the female gives birth to 25-40 cubs. Babies are 50-80 centimeters long and are completely independent from the first day. Rare cases are known when the anaconda laid eggs.


Common anacondas feed on small animals. Lying in wait for prey near the water, the snake attacks it with lightning speed and then strangles it, tightly wrapping itself in rings around the body of the victim.

The danger to the anaconda is only a large cat - jaguar. These cats are not afraid of water and can catch, kill and eat an anaconda, but this is rare.

Paraguayan anaconda

Paraguayan anaconda, or yellow anaconda - the species has a specific color, the maximum length of an adult is four meters.


In terms of lifestyle, the Paraguayan anaconda is practically no different from other representatives of its kind: it lives in the water, occasionally crawling onto land, feeds on small animals, reproduces not by laying eggs, but gives birth to cubs.




The Paraguayan anaconda is easy to breed in captivity. Females give birth from 7 to 40 cubs, childbirth can occur both in water and on land. Cubs from the moment of birth begin an independent life.

In the photo: Paraguayan anaconda in the zoo.


Anaconda Deschauensea

Anaconda Deshauenseya is a little-described species, it is only indicated that it lives in the north-west of Brazil. I did not find a photo of this type of anaconda.

Eunectes beniensis

Eunectes beniensis is another little-described anaconda species. In 2002, German herpetologist Lutz Dirksen first described it.


This species shares so many similarities with the Paraguayan anaconda that its future status as separate species unclear and questionable.

Anaconda Eunectes beniensis is known in Bolivia, it lives mainly in marshy places. These snakes are found only in relatively untouched and sparsely populated regions, which are not so few in Bolivia and they cover a vast territory. The species is of minimal concern, but these snakes are hunted for their meat, skin, and blubber. It also attacks small domestic animals such as dogs or cats, chickens and other birds, and for the peasants this is a sufficient reason to kill the snake. With all this special measures, the authorities of Bolivia have not yet taken special measures to protect this species, although there are plans to create a reserve "Lakes of Rogaguado" to preserve the biosystems of the swamps.

Video: A giant anaconda ate a pig alive!

Swiss underwater photographer Franco Banfi risked his life for exclusive footage by diving to the bottom of the Amazon River in Brazil to swim with giant anacondas.

The traveler spent 10 days in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, during which he was able to capture six giant anacondas on camera. The largest of all existing snakes.

The photographer managed to take stunning photos of a giant anaconda right in her natural environment habitat, underwater.

Huge predators calmly led their usual lifestyle, swimming in muddy waters rivers or basking in the sun after a meal, ignoring the overly brave man with a camera.

“Of course, everything is possible, but I don’t think she would eat me. Fortunately for me, the anaconda had just swallowed its next prey and did not look after me for the second course. I was so close to her that I could touch her if I wanted to, of course,” said the 53-year-old photographer.

The giant anaconda is almost entirely aquatic. It lives in quiet, slow-flowing rivers, creeks, oxbow lakes and lakes of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. An adult anaconda has practically no enemies in nature.

“At first it was very scary, because I had never come so close to snakes before, everyone knows that they are very dangerous. But I realized that nothing will happen if you treat these creatures with respect. At least they are big and you can watch their reaction and behavior,” Franco added.

Currently, the largest known giant anaconda is about 9 meters long and weighs about 130 kg, it is in the New York Zoological Society.

The main color of the body of a giant anaconda is grayish-green with two rows of large brown spots of a round or oblong shape, alternating in a checkerboard pattern. On the sides of the body there is a row of yellow spots of a smaller size, surrounded by black rings. This coloring effectively hides the snake when it lurks in still water covered with brown leaves and tufts of algae. Females are much larger and stronger than males.

The giant anaconda inhabits the entire tropical part South America east of the Andes: Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, eastern Paraguay, northern Bolivia, northeastern Peru, Guyana, French Guiana, and the island of Trinidad. Due to the inaccessibility of the habitats of the giant anaconda, it is difficult for scientists to estimate its numbers and follow the dynamics of the population.

There are many anacondas in the zoos of the world, but they take root in captivity quite difficult. The maximum life span of an anaconda in a terrarium is 28 years, but these snakes usually live 5-6 years in captivity.

The giant anaconda feeds on various mammals, lying in wait for them near the water. She catches tapirs, peccaries, agoutis, capybaras. Cases have been described more than once when an anaconda devoured even a jaguar. Waterfowl, small caimans, turtles, as well as snakes often fall for anaconda lunch - at least once in the zoo, an anaconda strangled and ate a 2.5-meter giant python.

Like all boas, the anaconda motionlessly waits for the prey, and when it approaches, it grabs it with a lightning throw and strangles it, wrapping it with body rings (contrary to popular belief, the giant anaconda, like other boas, does not crush the victim and does not break her bones, but compresses her and does not allow breathing, and she dies of suffocation). Like all snakes without exception, the anaconda swallows its prey whole, greatly stretching its mouth and throat.

Despite the fact that there is only one reliable case of death of a person from a snake attack, anacondas gained fame as "eaters" of people largely thanks to Hollywood thriller films.

Anacondas are the largest snakes on Earth, known for their ability to swallow large animals. There are 3-4 species of anacondas in the world, they belong to the pseudo-legged family and are closely related to boas and pythons. The most famous is the common anaconda (it is also called the giant, green or simply anaconda), other species (Paraguayan, Benyan) are little known.

Giant, or common, or green anaconda (Eunectes murinus).

Anacondas have all the typical features of boas. They have a relatively small head and a long and muscular body. Like all members of the false-legged anaconda family, they have two full-fledged lungs (and not one, like real snakes). They have completely preserved pelvic bones, however, there are no hind limbs, they are replaced by rudimentary (residual) claws. But still, anacondas are much more massive than all other snakes, the thickness of their body is amazing, in girth it is equal to the girth of the human body. The average length of the Paraguayan and Benyan anacondas is 3-4 m, the giant anaconda reaches an average of 5-6 m in length, but large individuals grow up to 9-10 m. The largest copy of the giant anaconda had a length of 11.43 m! However, it is worth noting that such animals are extremely rare. Recently, the Wildlife Conservation Society established a $50,000 prize for anyone who presents an anaconda over 9 meters long, but it still remains unclaimed. Rumors about snakes 18-40 m long are absolutely untrue. In addition, the title of the largest snake claims and reticulated python, according to unofficial data, there are specimens over 11 m long, but these records have not been confirmed. Anacondas weigh 150-250 kg.

The color of the giant anaconda is clayey with a greenish or blackish tint, spots are scattered over the body. On the back they are oblong, large, dark; on the belly they are small, round, light with a dark border. The coloration of the Benyan anaconda is similar to that of the giant anaconda, and the Paraguayan anaconda is the brightest of all the species. Her main body color is yellow, and dark spots cast blue. Anacondas have pronounced sexual dimorphism, females are noticeably larger and thicker than males. An unusual feature of anacondas is the pronounced unpleasant odor exuded by these snakes.

Paraguayan, or yellow, or southern anaconda (Eunectes notaeus).

Anacondas live only in South America, they are found almost throughout the continent - from the Andes in the west to the Atlantic coast in the east. They are also found on the island of Trinidad off the coast of South America. Anacondas inhabit only warm tropical regions, for this reason they do not rise to temperate mountain zones. The life of anacondas is closely connected with water bodies, they inhabit the banks of rivers and swamps, they do not move far from the coast. Anacondas live alone, the density of their settlements is low, so they are rare.

Like all snakes, anacondas are quite passive, usually they lie on the shore or crawl on the branches of coastal trees. In search of food, they examine water bodies. Anacondas are great swimmers and divers, they can stay under water for a long time without rising to the surface. Even the molting of anacondas takes place in the water, where they rub against driftwood to get rid of old skin. Anacondas lie in wait for their prey near the water or pursue it. The caught animal anaconda wraps the rings around its body, strangles and swallows. These snakes have no venom.

Underwater shooting of an anaconda. In nature, these snakes behave calmly and do not pose a danger to people.

Contrary to the beliefs of many people, anacondas are not bloodthirsty and do not attack large animals. Usually their prey are small rodents, young crocodiles, capybaras, turtles, smaller pythons, waterfowl. Occasionally, anacondas can attack adult crocodiles, deer, peccaries, tapirs, jaguars, cougars, sloths swimming across rivers. It happens that these snakes rob in settlements, where they eat goats, pigs, calves left unattended. Under no circumstances can anacondas swallow large ungulates (cows, horses). Their danger to people is also greatly exaggerated: anacondas are simply not interested in such prey. But still, several cases of death in the mouth of anacondas are known. All victims of anacondas at the time of the attack were away from the settlements, were alone and probably did not see the predator. So far, not a single case of salvation from the embrace of this snake is known. The anaconda digests large prey for several days, and the stock nutrients she has enough for several months, so the appetite of anacondas is very modest.

The breeding season is April-May. Males find their chosen one by the scent trail left by the female. Snakes form a ball of intertwined bodies and can stay in this position for several days. In fact, at the same time, a mating duel of males takes place, but it is expressed in muscle contractions, with which a stronger male tries to force a weak one out of a ball. The male encourages the female to mate by stroking her body with the rudiments of the limbs (claws), while the rattle of the scales is heard. Mating often occurs under water or near it. Anaconda pregnancy lasts 6-7 months. These snakes are ovoviviparous. Usually they give birth to cubs, less often they can lay eggs, from which young anacondas immediately hatch. One female is capable of giving birth to 30-44 cubs, each of which at birth has a length of 50-80 cm.

Pregnant female anaconda. Unlike other animals, anacondas do not gain weight during pregnancy, but lose weight.

Anaconda cubs are vulnerable to predators and even to their parents, because there are cases of cannibalism in anacondas. Enemies of young anacondas can be large crocodiles, jaguars, cougars. But for those who live to middle age, a quiet life is guaranteed. No animal dares to attack adult anacondas, so they behave rather carelessly.

When catching anacondas, they behave quite calmly, several people can easily cope with one snake.

In captivity, anacondas live an average of 5-6 years, which is much less than their natural lifespan. The maximum age of the anaconda in captivity was 28 years, life expectancy in nature is unknown, since it is difficult to monitor them in inaccessible habitats for anacondas. Anacondas are a coveted exhibit for many zoos and private collectors. Have in the terrarium the most large snake prestigious, but difficult. To feel good, these snakes definitely need water (the larger the pool, the better), sunny and shady areas. In captivity, anacondas often show unusual aggressiveness.

Anaconda is the largest reptile that lives on the planet. These huge snakes cause if not panic fear then outright panic. The weight of 150 kilograms and the length of 10 meters are not fantastic fragments from an adventure book, they are real facts. What is the most big anaconda in the world today is fixed, and what reward awaits the brave man who caught a snake more than 10 meters?

Giants of the Animal World: Descendants of Ancient Serpents

Ancient books mention powerful and great snakes that can swallow a person and even digest a healthy bull. Evolutionary biologists are still arguing about the origin of reptiles.

Some believe that the snake originated from reptiles, while others refute this fact, expressing an opinion about the relationship between the snake known today and the ancient water descendant. The huge ancient fossils displayed in museums are comparable to the size of a school bus. The findings and assumptions of many biologists and scientists are still the subject of controversy and hypotheses that are still waiting for scientific confirmation or refutation.

Mysteries of the big size: what is known about anacondas today?

Thanks to existing facts, myths turn into a frightening reality. deadly dangerous predator with powerful musculature, a forked tongue for tracking prey, and strong, recurved teeth for grasping food, it is the largest carnivorous reptile on the planet, the anaconda.


The snake's habitat is the hard-to-reach places of Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Paraguay. The low-flowing places of the Amazon River and the lakes of the Orinoco Basin provide anacondas with the opportunity to catch even a large cattle. Snakes are aquatic, but can easily move on land.


Lack of information and little knowledge of the existing population of snakes does not provide an opportunity to more accurately establish some facts: how many individuals live in the world, what is their life expectancy in wild nature, and how realistic are claims about the existence of individuals greater than 20 meters. It is known that females are three times larger than males, their size and mass allows them to capture more big booty, and the eaten porcupine can be digested for about a week.

Three types of anacondas are known:

  • giant anaconda;
  • ordinary;
  • green.

The snake lies in wait for the victim, as a rule, near the reservoir. Favorite treats are iguanas, waterfowl and turtles. Cases of cannibalism for a snake - salient feature. In the zoo, the anaconda strangled and ate a 3-meter python, which was with her in the same terrarium.

Anaconda and man

Man and his way of life attracts reptiles. Cases are recorded when the female showed interest in small children, dogs and pets. The reptile is considered dangerous when meeting a person in the water. Here her agility and strength doubles. While on land, the anaconda is quite apathetic relative to humans. Cases when an anaconda attacks a person are rare and are considered the exception rather than the pattern. When meeting a person, the anaconda opens its large mouth, trying to scare. The snake perceives a person as a predator, not food.


The cases of the meeting of a man and an anaconda, described in books, are classified as "legends". Since there are no reliable facts and documents confirming the existence of a snake more than 10 meters. A common story, described in detail in books, concerns 1944, when an anaconda measuring 11 meters and 43 centimeters was caught by geologists in the jungles of Colombia. Until now, reptiles specified dimensions could not be found. A special award of $50,000 (established in America) awaits the brave man who will catch and deliver an anaconda larger than 9 meters and 12 centimeters.

Huge death machine - South American anaconda

The impact force of the anaconda is like that of a heavyweight boxer, a group of powerful muscles that wrap around the victim and kill without the slightest drop of poison. The victim dies of suffocation. The main advantage of the reptile is its weight and muscles, wrapping itself around the victim, the snake does not allow breathing. After the anaconda feels that the victim has been suffocated, it is time to eat. Large and curved teeth swallow and push food, and the pharynx of the reptile at the time of swallowing is stretched to an impressive size.


The largest anaconda in the world resides today at the Zoological Society of New York. Length and weight are listed in: 9 meters long and 130 kg live weight. Claims of capturing a specimen larger than 15 meters today have no confirmation. In nature, there are anacondas 4-5 meters long. Large reptiles are rare.

Weaknesses of a fearsome reptile

The natural habitat for anacondas is ponds with large thickets. Here the prey is hunted, stocking up on the necessary amount of fat for bearing offspring. Increased appetite is characteristic of the anaconda in the premarital period. The female absorbs a large number of food, because during pregnancy (7 months) she will not eat food. Bearing offspring for some snakes ends tragically: death from starvation at the end of the term is a frequent occurrence.

The process of eating food is also considered a dangerous moment for the life of a reptile. Indeed, at this moment the snake is defenseless against a potential enemy, and if another predator sees it during the period of ingestion of food, most likely, the snake itself will become a victim. Considering such distinguishing feature, as the duration of ingestion is more than 5 hours, then there is plenty of time for the snake to be swallowed by a predator. The reptile becomes a victim of an attack by a jaguar, caiman or a flock of piranhas in a pond.

Queen snake: interesting facts

Anaconda is the snake that until the 20th century was considered little studied. Scientists, trying to find out some features of the life and activity of the reptile, moved for several years to live in places of its accumulation. Every new fact news in the world of science.

Today, the following is known about the anaconda:

  • the female is larger and stronger than the male;
  • scientific name - Eunectes;
  • anaconda - the most "water-loving" snake;
  • the snake strangles the victim until it feels the beats of the heart;
  • teeth serve as a means to capture the victim, the main power of the reptile is its muscles;
  • females give birth to live fry while other reptiles lay eggs;
  • the number of descendants - 25-30 pieces;
  • from one brood up to a year, only 20-30% of individuals survive;
  • at first mating season the female anaconda spreads a smell in the air that attracts the male;
  • eyes and nostrils are located at the top of the head;
  • growth does not stop throughout life;
  • life expectancy in captivity - 5 years, in nature - 35-40;
  • acids are able to dissolve even large bones;
  • after defecation of the reptile, it is impossible to make out which animal was eaten.

The largest anaconda in the world, which was caught and measured by a person, is not considered an indicator. After all, it is known that the length of a reptile in the wild can reach 15 meters or more. The facts known to scientists every year change the understanding of the real parameters of this giant. Perhaps in a few years it will be installed new record the longest snake in the world. After all, climatic changes on the planet and a decrease in the number of reservoirs only contribute to the growth of this population. Every year the length of the anaconda increases.

Anaconda (lat. Eunectes murinus) is one of the most beloved modern monsters. Thanks to the American thriller of the same name, references to this huge, grayish-green, brown-spotted boa constrictor make the hair on the head move quietly even in people who have never seen (and never will see) it live.

The anaconda is also called the giant anaconda, common anaconda, and green anaconda. Europeans first heard about this representative of the false-legged family in 1553 from Pedro Ciesa de Leon's book Chronicle of Peru. According to Pedro, the specimen he encountered was 20 feet long and incredibly fat. The Spaniards, not without difficulty, killed the snake and found a whole in her stomach.

Despite the fact that from time to time there are eyewitness accounts claiming to have seen an anaconda 10, 20, or even more meters long, it is believed that average value this snake is 5-6 meters, and the largest specimen lives in the New York Zoological Society - its length is 9 meters and weighs 130 kg. The question arises: if even in captivity they managed to grow such a monster, then how can it be in its natural environment - in the almost untouched tropical part of South America?

It is precisely because of the inaccessibility of its habitats that very little is known about the habits of the giant anaconda. Almost all information is collected by observing these animals in zoos. It is also difficult to estimate their abundance in the wild. However, this species does not appear to be in danger of extinction.

Anaconda lives in quiet bays, lakes and backwaters of the Orinoco and Amazon basins. Here he guards his victims: various mammals, young caimans, turtles and waterfowl. It eats fish very rarely, although it can easily catch it. The snake's lightning-fast reaction helps it to grab careless prey, which it wraps around in rings and strangles, so that it can then be swallowed whole. At the same time, her mouth and throat are stretched to incredible sizes.

The anaconda crawls out of the water extremely reluctantly, only to bask in the sun, hanging its huge body on the branches of coastal trees. During a drought, she either seeks a new place to live, or burrows into the bottom silt, where she falls into a stupor and waits for the start of the rainy season.

Seasonal showers, which begin in April-May, force male anacondas to seek meetings with females, leaving a specific smell on the ground during this period. When mating, males use the rudiments of their hind limbs to clutch with females. Pregnancy lasts 6-7 (according to some information 9) months.

Anacondas are ovoviviparous, they give birth to 28 to 42 kites, a little more than half a meter long. On the 5th-13th day, they have the first molt, after which the young begin to eat intensively. Often, snakes themselves become victims of a variety of predators. And so they grow until they reach such a size that no beast wants to measure strength with them.

As for attacks on a person, only a few cases are reliably known. And even then it is believed that the anaconda did it quite by accident. Although it is unlikely that the true victims of a huge snake could tell the world about their misadventures. So it's possible that the rumors about her are not so exaggerated...