Large, semiaquatic boas of tropical South America. The green anaconda is the heaviest snake in the world and one of the longest, reaching over 6 m.
Quick answers
What is it?Reptile
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Yes
Encounters with people can be dangerous, but anacondas don't regularly hunt humans.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Mostly nocturnal and aquatic, lurking almost fully submerged.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
At a glance
Found inSouth America
HabitatWetland, Rivers & lakes, Rainforest
ColoursGreen, Black, Brown
SizeHuge
LengthUp to 6.32 m (green anaconda)
LegsNone
Covered inScales
Lives alone
Lives for10–30 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Tropical South America.
- What it eats
- Large prey such as capybaras, deer, caimans and even jaguars, though such big meals are rare.
Did you know
The heaviest snake in the world, and it gives birth to live young.
Its genus name, Eunectes, means “good swimmer”.
Often confused with
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