Anacondas are large snakes that spend most of their lives in the rainforest. These graceful swimmers have their eyes and nostrils perched high atop their heads, enabling them to conceal themselves underwater while ambushing prey.
Anacondas typically prey on mammals, fish and reptiles. As non-venomous constrictors, they use their powerful jaws to snap their prey into submission by coiling and squeezing them until they succumb.
Contents
Prey
What Food Do Anacondas Eat in the Rainforest?
Green anacondas are opportunistic apex predators that feed on a variety of prey items including fish, birds, rodents, turtles and caiman. Juveniles also take advantage of small mammals like capybaras for dinner.
Anacondas are well-adapted to living in South America’s tropical rainforests, particularly the Amazon River Basin. They can swim through a range of water temperatures and their eyes and nostrils are situated atop their heads so they can see and breathe underwater.
Females typically mate during spring, emitting pheromones that attract males to their territory. After giving birth to live young (up to 2 feet long and capable of hunting or swimming), these females can produce up to 82 offspring from one litter.
Habitat
The Amazon rainforest is home to anacondas, the world’s largest snake. These non-venomous constrictors feed on animals of all sizes, such as wild pigs and deer.
They consume their prey by wrapping their bodies around them and squeezing until they succumb to crushing or suffocation. Large animals may even be swallowed whole; after a meal they won’t need to eat again for weeks.
They typically live in tropical rainforests, swamps and slow-moving streams throughout South America. Their eyes and nostrils are set high on their heads to allow them to remain almost completely submerged when waiting for prey.
Lifespan
An anaconda’s lifespan can last between 10-30 years, during which they consume a variety of different foods.
Snakes with great mass can suffocate and swallow their prey whole. They feed on all types of animals, such as birds, fish and reptiles alike.
Green anacondas can grow up to 6+ metres (22 feet) long and weigh up to 225 kilograms. They tend to inhabit tropical rainforests throughout South America, though they also frequent savannas and other watery habitats.
They mate between April and May, when females release pheromones to attract males. During this period, up to 12 males will gather around the female in what is referred to as a breeding ball.
Diseases
Green anacondas are a common sight in South America, typically found in the rainforests of Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Guyana. They prefer slow-moving streams, rivers and flooded grasslands for their breeding grounds.
These snakes are nonvenomous constrictors and use their sharp teeth to capture prey. They then coil their bodies around the prey until it succumbs and they consume it whole.
They feed on a variety of prey, such as large rodents, deer, fish, peccaries, capybaras, tapirs, turtles, birds and aquatic reptiles like caiman. Due to the large meals they eat they may go weeks or months without eating again.
Anacondas in the rainforest can become victims of diseases, including reptilian paramyxovirus. This illness has the potential to be lethal, especially among juveniles.
Threats
Anacondas in South America face a number of threats, but one of the greatest is human encroachment. Humans have destroyed much of their natural habitat, potentially forcing anacondas to search for new homes.
Anacondas are also hunted for their skin, which is used in purses and shoes, as well as their meat which is sold to restaurants. They are listed on CITES Appendix II which regulates commercial trade in wildlife products.
Young anacondas are only a few feet long when born, but they grow rapidly and eventually reach 500 times their birthweight as adults. This large size enables them to consume various animals such as capybara, deer and tapir. Furthermore, larger snakes such as caimans – relatives of alligators – may also be preyed upon.
