Yellow anaconda

Scientific Name: Eunectes notaeus

Did You Know?

The yellow anaconda’s razor sharp teeth point backwards towards its throat. Once it grabs hold of its prey, it is almost impossible for the prey to escape.

The yellow anaconda has a stunning pattern of dark brown, black or blue-black blotches on a bright yellow, tan or greenish-yellow background. Growing 3-4 metres long, the yellow anaconda is nowhere near as large as the green anaconda, which is also found in South America. They are the second largest ‘boa’ species in South America, and kill their prey by biting to grab them, then wrapping the coils around them so that the prey can no longer breath. If this occurs in the water, the prey often drowns before it is suffocated by constriction. Prey is swallowed whole, and yellow anacondas have the nifty trick of being able to eat underwater. Yellow anacondas are non-venomous.

Habitat:

Yellow anacondas are found in northern Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. They spend most of the time in the water and so are found in, or on the banks of, swamps, slow moving rivers and streams.

Diet:

Small mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. Yellow anacondas are ambush predators that often wait near the edge of the water for prey to come and drink.

Reproduction:

Yellow anacondas are mature at 3-4 years and breed at the start of the rainy season. Mating takes place in the water. 20-40 live young are born, each about 45 centimetres long. Within hours of being born they are able to swim and hunt for themselves and receive no parental care.

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• Ball python
• Black-headed python
• Boa constrictor
• Burmese python
• Carpet Python
• Diamond Python
• Green anaconda
• Green Tree Python
• Jungle carpet python
• Olive python
• Reticulated Python
• Rough-scaled Python
• Spotted Python
• Stimson Python
• Woma python
• Yellow anaconda