Yellow anaconda
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Yellow anaconda ( Eunectes notaeus ) |
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| Eunectes notaeus | ||||||||||||
| Cope , 1862 |
The yellow anaconda ( Eunectes notaeus ), also Paraguayan anaconda or southern anaconda , is a species from the boas family (Boidae).
Appearance
The yellow anaconda is a strongly built snake with a head that is barely set off from its neck. Their basic color is a light yellow-brown with two large, dark, irregular rows of spots on the back and two to three smaller rows of spots on the side. The ventral side is yellowish. The body length is usually 250-300 cm, the larger females can reach lengths of up to 4 meters. Overall, the yellow anaconda remains significantly smaller than the large anaconda ( Eunectes murinus ).
The number of supralabial shields , at 12 to 16, as well as the infralabial shields at 15 to 21, is less than in the large anaconda. The trunk has 43 to 52 rows of smooth scales in the middle, 213 to 237 ventral shields , 44 to 61 sub-caudal shields and an undivided anal shield .
Distribution and way of life
The distribution area of the yellow anaconda is in South America and extends over southeast Bolivia , southwest Brazil , Paraguay and northeast Argentina .
Their habitat mainly includes the vegetation-rich bank areas of various bodies of water as well as light areas in moist forests. She swims and dives excellently and stays mostly near the bottom on land. Prey animals are mammals, birds, fish and reptiles, which are grabbed from lurking and then strangled.
Yellow anacondas are viviparous . After a gestation period of 6 to 8 months, 20 to 30, a maximum of 40 young animals are born. These are 50 to 70 cm tall at birth. Life expectancy is around 20 years.
literature
- Ludwig Trutnau : Non-poisonous snakes, part 1 . 4th edition. Eugen Ulmer GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3223-0 .
Web links
- Eunectes notaeus in The Reptile Database
- Yellow anaconda in the animal lexicon of Zurich Zoo