Anaconda, << `an` uh KON duh, >> is the name of a group of large snakes found in tropical South America. Anacondas are also called water boas. One species (kind) may grow as long as 30 feet (9 meters) and weigh nearly 450 pounds (205 kilograms). No other South American snake approaches this length or weight.
Anacondas have greenish, yellowish, or brownish skin, often with many black rings or spots. These snakes live near water, often swimming in rivers. Anacondas bear live young. Their main food is fish, but they also will eat birds, small mammals, and other reptiles. The largest snakes may attack large mammals. Anacondas kill by wrapping their coils tightly around prey to keep it from breathing. Like other snakes, anacondas defend themselves from enemies by retreating or, if cornered, by biting. Their bite does not inject poison, but their many teeth can inflict deep wounds.
See also Boa; Boa constrictor; Python.
