Scientists express rather contradictory versions about the name of the anaconda. According to etymologists, the mammal takes its name from the word henakandaya, which means "rattlesnake". Another version is that the reptile is named after the Tamil phrase meaning "elephant killer". So where does this non-venomous but large water snake live? Its habitat is Paraguay, Colombia, Venezuela, tropical parts of South America.
Appearance
Anaconda belongs to the scaly order of the reptile class. This is a fairly large snake. The most gigantic reptile was found in Venezuela. Its length was 5 meters 20 centimeters, including the size of the tail. The anaconda weighed almost 98 kilograms. It should be noted that feature films about snakes of this species 11-15 meters long should be classified as fantastic.
There is one curious feature: the female anaconda is always larger than the male. The skeleton of a snake consists of a body andtail. The ribs of the reptile are extremely mobile and expand greatly when swallowing large game. The skull of the anaconda is distinguished by elastic bones, which helps it open its mouth wide during the hunt. The anaconda does not break, does not crush bones, as other boas do, it squeezes the prey so that oxygen cannot enter the lungs, and the prey dies from suffocation. This snake has no fangs, so it does not tear or chew its food.
Habitat and hunting
Where the anaconda lives, there are always many reservoirs. As a rule, the snake chooses a warm and humid area. This is a water creature that inhabited the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. The snake lives especially comfortably on the island of Trinidad. It is believed that this area is abundantly populated by such living creatures as the anaconda, hummingbird, condor. Trinidad is an island of contradictions.
The territory is safely divided by small birds weighing 6-11 grams and large condors weighing 12 kilograms. If we talk about the anaconda, then we can distinguish the usual, green, Paraguayan and Benyan. All of these species are excellent swimmers and divers. Special valves located on the nostrils help them stay under water for a long time.
When inhabited rivers and lakes dry up, the snakes migrate to other channels. After all, where the anaconda lives, there must be water. Sometimes the reptile burrows into the silt before the onset of tropical rains. Why does she need them? The fact is that in reservoirs it is easier to guard and grab prey. She is most often a fish, turtle, bird. First, the water snake freezes and waits for itssacrifice. Then, seizing the moment, she swiftly attacks the prey and wraps herself around in a tenacious spiral. As soon as the living creature is strangled, the snake swallows it whole.
Tobago Island
It has the same amazing variety of flora as Trinidad. There are cultivated plantations of coconut and sugar cane. The island is rich in its diverse fauna. It is inhabited by an opossum and a howler monkey. This is another place where anacondas, hummingbirds and condors live.
Also in Tobago there is an abundance of alligators and various lizards, which have chosen thickets of mangrove trees growing in estuaries. This place is also ideal for anaconda life.
Reptile breeding
Scientists have found that a water snake can go without food for several months in a row. But when the breeding season comes, she declares a boycott of the hunger strike and goes in search of food. She needs to fortify herself with food and find a male to mate with. It has been proven that only a well-fed anaconda can bring viable offspring. To attract the male, the reptile begins to exude a special pheromone. The partner is looking for her with his tongue. This is the case when he picks up a female "to taste." How does mating work?
It's hard to answer exactly. It is only known that several males gather around the female, which twist into a large ball. But with which of them the female mates, it is not always clear. After love gamesa pregnant reptile tries to find a reservoir, escaping from the heat. After all, it is the scorching sun that always rules where the anaconda lives. Mainland South America is one such tropical place, home to numerous species of famous snakes. Unfortunately, many of them are dying from drought.
Anaconda offspring
The female, who successfully endured the heat and a 7-month-long hunger strike, will give her cubs to the world with the onset of the first rains. One anaconda has about 30-40 babies. Together with the kites, undeveloped eggs come out of the female. For some time they serve as food for the anaconda. The snake mother does not worry about her cubs, since they are completely independent. After the birth of the anaconda, they explore the world around them with curiosity and go hunting. But while they are small, they themselves often become victims of adult predators.
