Anaconda

  **Basic Statistics**
 * Green Anaconda **

Genus: //Eunectes// Family: //Boa// Order: //Squamata// Class: //Reptilia// Phylum: //Chordata// Kingdom: //Animalia // // **Ecology ** //
 * Scientific Name:** //Eunectes murinus **​**//

The Green Anaconda is by far the largest snake in the world. This is a huge advantage because no animal dares to cross paths with a fully grown Anaconda. The Green Anaconda reaches its enormous size on a diet which consists of wild pigs, birds, deer, turtles, caimans, and even animals like jaguars. Anaconda's can pretty much feast anything they want. The Green Anaconda does not have any sort of relationship with other organisms because it is too aggressive and will probably end up eating it.  An Anaconda prefers to live in both water and land. The Anaconda slithers like a regular snake on land but once it gets into water it is very stealthy and sleek according to National Geog raphic. Anacondas can be found in swamps, marshes, and slow flowing streams. The Green Anaconda is found in North South America east of Andes Mountains. The climate in north South America is mostly wet, hot, and humid.

**Physiology**

A fully grown Anaconda can reach a unbelievable length of 29 feet and a mammoth weight of 550 pounds! Female Green Anacondas are much larger than a male Green Anaconda. A Green Anaconda isn't actually fully green; instead, its skin is more green-olive. It has black botches or spots throughout its body and their head is more narrower than their body. The eyes are slightly high on their head. It pretty much looks like snake on steroids. The Green Anaconda is generally slow on land but once it gets into water it is a completely different story. It can top speeds of 50-70 meters per second in water. The Green Anaconda is not venomous, so it depends on its Hercules style strength to literally suffocate a prey. Using its huge body mass and incredible accuracy while striking, a Green Anaconda will use its strong body to coil around a prey and squeeze it to the death. After the prey is dead, it will consume it whole. Also, its nasal and eyes are on top of its head. With this, it can lay low in water and go undetected. Anacondas stay solitary or stay on their own until it is mating season. They mate during the rainy season; usually months April-May. Usually, the males find the females. The female Anaconda leaves a scent trail that the male Anaconda follows. The Green Anaconda reproduces instead of cloning or using parthenogenesis.**

Interesting Behaviors/Traits **

An interesting behavior of an Green Anaconda is that its ability of adapt very quickly. They are one of the quickest snakes to adapt to sudden change. Also, Anacondas can re-produce in and out of water. Another interesting fact is that the eggs hatch in the mother's stomach before the young is finally born. And finally, even though Anacondas are portrayed as big scary killers, they only do so when they are hungry or feel threatened. Other than that, they would just slither away.

**Cites**

"Green Anaconda Eunectes murinus." //National Geographic// n. pag. Web. 15 May 2010..

Brown, David. "Anaconda." n. pag. Web. 15 May 2010. .

"Green Anaconda." //Buzzle// n. pag. Web. 15 May 2010. .