Scientific Name:
Eunectes notaeus
Distribution
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay
Diet:
Carnivore. Birds and their eggs, small or large mammals, turtles, lizards, occasionally fish or fish carrion, caimans.
Facts
Habitat: Swamps, marshlands with slow-moving rivers or streams
Gestation: 6 months, ~4-82 young
Social structure: Solitary (sequentially monogamous for mating), do not seem to defend territory
Weight: 40kg max
Dimensions: 4.6m max
Lifespan: 15-20
IUCN Status: Not evaluated
Estimated population in the wild: Stable
Threats: Wetland habitat loss for agricultural expansion and intentional killings for skin, meat, oil, and retaliation for small livestock predation.
Did you know that:
- Their Latin name Eunectes, means 'good swimmer’.
- They seem to have indeterminate growth and can reach sufficient sizes to take larger prey such as deer or capybaras.
- At breeding period, the female produces pheromones, a smell that attracts several males and form breeding balls of 1 female and several males.
- They give birth to fully developed live young, who are immediately able to live on their own.
- These constrictors are ambush hunters. They lie in the water or in the vegetation, waiting to pounce on passing prey.
- They have a very slow digestive system and can go for months without eating after a big meal.
- Along with their incredible jaw flexibility, they have more than a 100 curved teeth that help to hold and swallow prey.
- Like most snakes, they rely heavily on their fork-like tongues and chemo-sensation to navigate their environment and find prey. The tongue is flicked in and out of the mouth to taste the air.