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The anaconda or water boa, is one of the largest snake species found in South America. The upper front of its head structure is covered with shield-like plates, which are replaced further back by scales. The anaconda is considered to be the largest serpent in the Western Hemisphere. A large adult anaconda can grow up to 19 feet in length and weighs around 235 lbs. There is a record of it growing at the length of 25 feet. Wow, that’s pretty scary.
The anaconda is classified as an oviparous reptile because females produce eggs that develop and hatch outside the body. It is commonly feared by locals because it has been reported to be also preying on humans like what I’ve seen on the internet, an adult human male found inside the belly of an anaconda after dissection, but that kind of incidence is very rare.
Anacondas lurk in murky waters or at river banks perfectly camouflaged as they hunt. They patiently wait for animals to come close to where they are. When the prey gets within the anaconda’s grasping range, the anaconda launches a swift springy attack, holding its prey with its retracted hook-like teeth that the prey has no way of escaping. Having the prey secured, it then wraps itself around it and start to do its signature killing procedure.
The fearsome serpent does what a typical boa does when it comes to hunting. Like its close relative, the python, the anaconda constricts their prey. It applies an extreme amount of pressure on their victim, suffocating it until it has no more breath left.
Contrary to popular belief that anacondas and pythons break the bones of their prey, these enormous serpents actually apply a very tight grip on the chest area of their victim to inhibit breathing. As the victim exhales, these serpents tend to tighten up their grip more. That way the victim’s chest cavity gets suppressed that the lungs have no more way to expand. That causes respiratory failure and the victim dies of suffocation.
A Swiss diver discovered a 26-foot-long giant anaconda at the Brazilian region of Mato Grosso. Although anacondas are very common to the Brazilian wildlife, but this particular size is not. My God, this one is enormous. I can’t believe that the diver has gotten used to what he’s doing, taking photos and videos of such a massive serpent up close. Very brave of him unlike many of us that don’t even want to get close to it, and that definitely includes me.
The courageous Swiss diver was not worried about being the giant anaconda’s dinner because he knew what its favorite meal was, the capybara. So, he didn’t mind getting close to the titanic serpent, knowing that it had no interest in him. Well, maybe for that particular moment we could say yes, but had the anaconda not eaten beforehand, I believe it could have attacked and eaten him. We can never tell. So, it’s always best to keep a good distance from such a kind of wild creature.
