Scientists discover world's largest snake in Amazon rainforest

Utkarsh Classes Last Updated 22-02-2024

Scientists discover world's largest snake in Amazon rainforest

Environment 4 min read

In February 2024, scientists discovered the existence of a giant anaconda snake hidden in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. It is the world's largest anaconda snake ever discovered. It is actually a Northern Green Anaconda.

This giant anaconda was previously unknown to the scientific community. It was discovered by renowned TV wildlife presenter, Professor Freek Vonk, during a daring expedition led by National Geographic.

Main features of the world's largest snake:

This snake is 26 feet long and weighs 200 kg. The snake's head is as big as a human head. The body is as wide as a car tyre.
Scientists are claiming that this Northern Green Anaconda is the largest and heaviest snake in the world.
This species was found during the filming of National Geographic's Disney+ series 'Pole to Pole' with Will Smith.
Researchers have given this new species the Latin name 'Eunectes akayima', which means Northern Green Anaconda.
These anacondas exhibit remarkable speed, often surpassing their prey in agility and swiftness. They use their strong bodies to suffocate their prey and swallow them whole.
The new species discovered by researchers, named 'Eunectes akayima', is believed to be the largest and heaviest snake on record.
Anacondas are known for their impressive speed and immense strength. These characteristics establish them as apex predators in their habitat.
Contrary to previous beliefs, there are two different anaconda species in the Amazon. The newly identified northern green anaconda diverged from its southern counterpart about 10 million years ago.

The Northern Green Anaconda is different from other snake species:

According to Professor Vonk, we all know through films and stories that there are many species of snakes found in the world. Although it has only 2 species.
The green anaconda found in South America appears to be a completely different species.
Although they look almost identical, there is a 5.5 percent genetic difference between them which is really quite big because there is only 2 percent genetic difference between a chimpanzee and a human.

About Amazon Rainforest:

These are vast tropical rainforests, located in northern South America. It is located mainly in the drainage basin of the Amazon River and its tributaries. The total area of this rain forest is approximately 6,000,000 square kilometers.
These are tropical forests which are found within 28 degrees north or south of the equator.
The average annual rainfall here is 200 cm. Is more than.
Temperatures are uniformly high between 20 °C and 35 °C.
These forests are widespread across Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, Central America, and numerous Pacific islands.