A team of scientists has discovered the largest snake in the world, a 26-foot-long green anaconda found in the Amazon rainforest. The snake, which weighed more than 200 kilograms, was believed to be around 8 meters long.
The discovery was made by a team of scientists led by Prof. (Dr) Freek Vonk. Vonk shared a video of the snake on Instagram, describing it as the “biggest anaconda I’ve ever seen.” He added that the snake was “as thick as a car tyre, eight meters long and over 200 kg heavy – with a head as big as my head. From total awe and admiration a ‘monster’!”
The new species has been given the Latin name Eunectes akayima, which means the “northern green anaconda.” The word “akayima” comes from several indigenous languages of northern South America and means “big snake.”
The discovery of this new species is significant as it is a member of the Amazon ecosystem. The green anaconda is found in the tropical parts of South America, such as the basins of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Esequibo rivers. The green anacondas have two species- southern green anaconda and northern green anaconda.
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These snakes feed on caimans, capybara, deer, tapirs, and other animals. They kill their prey by throwing their coils around them and then constricting them. The green anaconda can also hunt its prey underwater.
The discovery of this new species was made during filming for National Geographic’s Disney+ series Pole to Pole with Will Smith. The research team published their findings in the journal Diversity.
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