Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery in the Amazon, uncovering a previously unknown species of giant anaconda that can reach lengths of up to 7.5 meters and weigh nearly 500 kilograms. This newfound species now holds the title of the largest and heaviest snake ever recorded.
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Previously, only four species of anacondas were recognized, with the green anaconda being the largest among them. Typically found in the tropical regions of South America, such as the Amazon, Orinoco, and Esequibo river basins, these anacondas are renowned for their swift movements and suffocating methods of hunting prey by coiling around them and swallowing them whole.
However, a recent study spanning several decades has revealed that the green anaconda is actually composed of two distinct genetic species. Researchers collaborated with the indigenous Waorani community and conducted studies in the Baihuaeri Waorani Territory in the Ecuadorian Amazon, where they encountered and studied specimens of the newly identified northern green anaconda (Eunectes akayima).
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During their exploration of the Amazonian river system, scientists observed several of these newly identified anacondas, described as “lurking in the shallows, lying in wait for prey.”
According to Bryan Fry from the University of Queensland, who co-authored the study, the size of these creatures was astonishing, with one female anaconda measuring an impressive 6.3 meters in length. Additionally, there were reports from the Waorani people of even larger anacondas, measuring over 7.5 meters in length and weighing around 500 kilograms.