Rainforest animals: Anaconda

Anaconda (Genus: Eunectes) is one of the most well known animals in the rainforest and is even kept as exotic pets by some people. But unlike your average cats and dogs, these pets can easily grow up to 20 feet and weigh up to 40 stones (250Kg).

There are three types of Anaconda’s known around the rainforests of the world. The green anaconda, the largest of these snakes can be found in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Trinidad, Colombia, Venezuela and the Guiana’s. The yellow anaconda is found in Paraguay, eastern parts of Bolivia, northeastern Argentina and southern Brazil. The dark-spotted anaconda is the rarest species and it has been seen in the rainforests of north-eastern Brazil, Coastal French Guiana and Guyana. (Source:wiki)

Commonly found in the rainforests of South America, Argentina and the Amazon Basic, these snakes kill not by injecting venom like other snakes, but rather by crushing its prey to death. So you cannot die from an Anaconda bite.

Unlike in the movie that made this snake infamous, Anaconda’s are actually rather slow and depend on strength and stealth rather than speed for hunting. They prefer to use the water for escape and travel, adding to the other predators that lurk in the rivers of the rainforests. In the rainforest, the Anaconda will slither among the trees or glide in the water, to lunge and coil their body around the unsuspecting prey and slowly tighten its hold until the prey is literally crushed to death from and then literally pop it whole into the mouth.

Also, they can eat something as big as a jaguar in one meal, although generally meals consist of birds and smaller animals. However, since these snakes have a very slow digestive system, they can go without eating for weeks after a heavy meal.

Anacondas don’t lay eggs; they give birth to young snakes, 24 to 35 at a time. They also live quite long, up to 30 years as documented. But generally they are solitary creatures; a single big snake can dominate one area. But, despite their size, these snakes are incredibly elusive, blending in with the surrounding or gliding under water with just their nostrils over the water. This has made it harder for scientists to study this rainforest animal in the wild.

For the same reason, Anaconda’s also suffer from wild reputations of size and appetite and even behavior. Often locals make conjectures regarding the size of these snakes simply from discarded skins, which, incidentally can stretch longer than the actual snake. The result is a rumor of Anaconda’s growing up to 50 feet long. But scientists have found no proof of such.

Even though these animals are considered exotic and protected species, they are smuggled out of the rainforests to be sold as pets in many countries. Unfortunately, they soon grow too big to keep at home or manage. And to avoid detection by authorities, the owners of the snakes release them into the nearest forest. Naturally, releasing such a huge predator into a local eco-system unprepared for it can create huge imbalances in other local species of the forest.

Moreover, Anaconda’s have crawled into the list of the endangered rainforests animals, mostly because of the slow receding forest areas. With loss of habitat and food, these snakes grow more and more solitary and we may never know many more facts about this amazing creature.