anaconda

==Anaconda J ﻿ace and Matt h ﻿Anaconda appearace  == ===Its eyes and nostrils are placed on top of the head; this itself enables it to catch its prey while the rest of the body lays submerged in water. Many anacondas are found in the tropical rainforests and although their numbers are not facing any threat, many of these species are definitely affected due to loss of their natural habitat. Anacondas also face threat from man because they are hunted for their skin. ===

[[image:http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT-kepzsU0H1yyNvaR2M6DNk7g4kCifmzYfFySVpFmfVrZ5xu5a width="259" height="194"]] habitat:
 Anacondas are most often spotted in the Guianas and throughout the regions of the tropical South America and the Orinoco Basins as well. It is rumored some of them have been seen east of Andes where as the Yellow Anaconda has been spotted south of Argentina. = = ===The savannas, grasslands and the deciduous forests are also habitats of the anacondas. When out of water, the reptiles are seen by the water’s edge, basking in the sun or in shallow caves nearby.  The kind of water bodies an anaconda prefers are mainly swampy and calm surfaces because it prefers to lay submerged or let the natural current carry it along rather than living in swift moving rivers. ===

===<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">There have been a few incidents, which have a mention of anacondas being bred in captivity. <span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> One such example is an anaconda that successfully gave birth to 14 babies on the 1st of January this year. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Here’s hoping these creatures manage to have a life in their natural environment without all the interference from man. === ===<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">diet: The anaconda will eat anything it can subdue. It has been recorded not to attack humans. It will quietly glide away rather than take the risk of disturbing his only enemy. The anaconda will attack alligators, deer, wild pigs and caiman. He is a wrap snake, which means he will wrap around his prey and slowly suffocate his meal to death. Most of the time the victims drown first. ===

mating:[[image:http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQMdaKFIi_Grn72umoH8gd2oGHg6PAHT9uItVd-lzwR_hTF9GaLJQ width="226" height="223"]]
=== The anaconda is a solitaire reptile until breeding season. The female secretes a scent, when ready to mate. There are usually no rivals; the nearest male picks up the scent and heads toward her territory. When they meet the male will rub his body against hers. The anaconda does not lay eggs. The male fertilizes the eggs inside the female’s body. She will give birth to twenty to forty live young with six weeks. The young are born prepared to swim, hunt and are independent. The young are not strong enough to kill large prey, so their diet consists of frogs and fish. The young grow very fast. They reach sexual maturity at three === === aconda has eaten he will sleep until his meal has digested. Then he wakes and begins his hunt again. ===

Many anaconda pictures show their characteristic aggression in captivity, although they do not eat people. Still, they are popular in the exotic pet trade.
=== Anaconda attacks are stealthy. They hunt at waters edge waiting for its prey to drink. In one strike they pull their prey underwater and drown them. Their diet is mainly composed of fish and reptiles, but they also pursue birds, small mammals-deer, piccaries, and rodents on land. Anaconda snakes have a special jaw attachment that allows it to swallow large animals (up to 6’). A meal of this size will take several weeks to digest. Scientists believe that female anaconda require additional food intake to survive the long gestation period (6 months); Females have been known to practice cannibalism on their smaller male counterparts if they do not find an exceptionally large meal. === life span;

Anacondas have around a 10 to 12 year year life span in the wild,

In captivity some have reached 20 + years, the biggest threat to it is man and

loss of their habitat.