Titanoboa‘s fossilised vertebra showed that it was a whopping 13 metres (42 feet) long. And you can take an accurate stab at the length of the entire snake based on the size of each vertebra – all members have the same number of segments, and their size is proportional to the animal’s length. The backbones of boas are similar enough that, with help from a computer, you can tell where any individual vertebra sits down the length of the snake by looking at its shape. Living boas come in various sizes, but their similar proportions gave Head the data he needed to work out how big Titanoboa actually was. The giant serpent is closely related to today’s boas and anacondas, snakes that kill their prey with suffocating coils.
It’s the latest fossil to emerge from Colombia’s, one of the world’s largest open-pit mines and an unexpected bonanza of prehistoric reptile fossils. Titanoboa cerrejonesis is new to science and was discovered by a team of North American scientists led by Jason Head at the University of Toronto. It’s arguably the largest snake alive, so just think about how big the owner of the fossilised vertebra on the right would have been! There’s a good reason why this new discovery – the largest snake that ever slithered – has been named Titanoboa. The smaller model on the left belongs to the anaconda, a giant serpent that can grow to 7 metres in length and weigh as much as 45kg. You’re looking at vertebrae from two species of snake.
Biggest anaconda how to#
If you do spot a green anaconda it’s best to leave it alone or call a professional to help.įor more information on how to support the El Socorro Centre for Wildlife Conservation through donations or volunteering, contact them on Facebook at or visit their website at Editor's note: Although the presenter states the green anaconda is the largest snake in the Western Hemisphere, it is actually the largest snake (by weight) in the world.This is sure to be one of the most amazing scientific images of the year.
Anacondas are known to eat wild pigs, deer, birds, turtles, capybara, caimans, and even jaguars.Īnacondas are nonvenomous and instead constrict their prey to kill and eat them – they play an important role in maintaining balance within our ecosystems. However, green anacondas are far from aggressive toward humans and will instead shy away from human habitats. Yes, green anacondas have been dramatized in movies, such as the 1997 film ‘ Anaconda’ starring Jennifer Lopez. Their lifespan in the wild is about ten years. Baby snakes are about 2 feet long when they are born and are almost immediately able to swim and hunt. Female anacondas retain their eggs and give birth to two to three dozen live young. Like other boa species, anacondas are ovoviviparous, or bear live young. The courtship period usually lasts about two months.Ĥ. Males flick their tongues in the air to pick up the chemical presence. The female’s scent is an air-borne chemical and males come to her from all directions. Female anacondas tell males when they’re in the moodĭuring the rainy season, females in breeding condition give off pheromones that are tracked by nearby males who then approach. While the anaconda frequents the water and is an excellent swimmer, it is very capable of moving on land and has limited climbing abilities.ģ. They live in sluggish streams, rivers and adjacent swamps and marshes. Green anacondas are found in Trinidad and tropical South America, east of the Andes, south to Bolivia and northern Paraguay. They’re native to Trinidad and Tobago and other South American regions However in most cases they usually weigh around a few hundred pounds.Īnacondas can reach lengths of 17 feet (5 metres), and some specimens may be as long as 36 feet (11 meters), but this is unusual.Īnacondas can measure more than 12 inches (30.5 centimetres) in diameter. Green anacondas can grow to weigh as much as a whopping 1,100 pounds. Here are five things to know about green anacondas, the world’s heaviest snake courtesy the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute: Ricardo Meade, director and founder of the El Socorro Centre for Wildlife Conservation, shows one of these impressive snakes up close: However these snakes, while they might seem scary, are hardly ever visible to humans as they prefer to stay away from human habitation, instead sticking to rivers and other water-based habitats.Īnacondas are useful in keeping the numbers of certain predators under control, such as caimans. It can weigh hundreds of pounds and is capable of taking down a jaguar if it grows to be large enough. The Green Anaconda is known as the world's heaviest snake and is native to Trinidad and Tobago. Did you know? The largest snake in the world (in terms of weight) is a Trini.