She then gives birth to as many as 80 tiny snakes, each 30-60 cm (12-24 in.) in length. The eggs develop for 8-12 weeks and then hatch while still inside the mother’s body. Once pregnant, the female will produce eggs inside her body.
The breeding ball can last up to 4 weeks. This results in “breeding balls” of up to a dozen males wrapped around a single female, all attempting to mate.
Often times, multiple males will pursue the same female. However, between April and May, males seek out females for the opportunity to mate. Green anacondas spend most of their time alone. Females, the larger of the sexes, have been reported to eat smaller male anacondas. Green anacondas have also been known to partake in cannibalism. After a big meal, anacondas can go weeks without eating again. For larger prey, the green anaconda can unhinge its jaw to stretch its mouth around the body. Once firmly grasped, the anaconda will coil around the prey and squeeze it until it dies of crushing or suffocation. Once an anaconda sights its target, it will grab the animal in its jaws, locking it in with its teeth. They’ve even been known to eat jaguars.Īnacondas are not venomous they use constriction instead to subdue their prey. Green anacondas prey on a variety of animals including fish, birds, tapirs, wild pigs, capybaras, and caimans (reptiles similar to alligators). Although they use both sight and smell to hunt, they also have the ability to sense heat emitted by potential prey. Most of their time is spent in the water hunting. Their eyes and nostrils are on the top of their head allowing them to see and breathe while most of their body is under water. Their enormous size makes it much easier for green anacondas to swim in the water than to slither slowly on land. The green anaconda is native to South America, making its home in swamps, marshes and streams. The green anaconda, with a girth of nearly 30 cm (12 in.) and a weight of 227 kg (550 lb.), is the heaviest of all snakes. Scientific Nameĥ ¾" L x 4" W x 3" H 14.3L x 10.3W X 7.With an average length of 6 m (20 ft.) and a top length of 8.8 m (29 ft.) the green anaconda is one of the longest snakes in the world. After a gestation period of approximately 6 months, the non-shelled eggs hatch within her body and the females "give birth" to upwards of 100, two-foot long babies that are miniatures of the adults. During the breeding season, the females are often found in shallow water in the midst of a unique "breeding ball" consisting of many males competing for her attention. Their flexible kinetic skull and jaws allow them to swallow prey as large as an adult deer. Striking their target with lightning fast reflexes, they hold fast with their six rows of sharp, backward curving teeth as they throw several coils around the victim. Green anacondas subdue their prey by constriction. They have large heads with their eyes and nostrils located towards the top of their head, which allows them to breathe and see while they remain completely submerged. These South American giants primarily inhabit tropical forests, savannas, marshes and wetlands and spend much of their time in the water. Anacondas are the world's heaviest snakes, growing to lengths of over 29 feet and weighing up to 550 pounds with a girth of 12" or more.