Giant anaconda (SciiFii)

The giant anaconda (Eunectes giganteus), also known as the goliath anaconda, is a species of boa of the genus Eunectes that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests and wetlands across South America to help boost biodiversity. The giant anaconda is one of the world's longest and heaviest snakes, reaching a length of up to 12 meters (42 feet) long. The giant anaconda's color pattern consists of an olive green background overlaid with large black blotches along the length of the body. The head is narrow compared to the body. The eyes are set high on the head, allowing the giant anaconda to see out of the water while swimming without exposing its body. Primarily aquatic, giant anacondas eat a wide variety of prey, almost anything they can manage to overpower, including fish, amphibians, birds, a variety of mammals, and other reptiles. Particularly large giant anacondas consumes large prey such as tapirs, deer, small ground sloths, capybaras, giant pacaranas, rheas, and caimans, but larger prey such as gomphothere calves and larger ground sloth species are not regularly consumed. The primarily nocturnal anaconda species tend to spend most of its life in or around water. They have the potential to reach high speeds when swimming. They tend to float beneath the surface of the water with their snouts above the surface. When prey passes by or stops to drink, the giant anaconda strikes (without eating or swallowing it) and coils around it with its body. The snake then constricts until it has suffocated the prey. This species is solitary until the mating season, which occurs during the rainy season, and can last for several months, usually from April to May. During this time, males must find females. Typically, female snakes lay down a trail of pheromones for the males to follow. Females remain motionless, while many males move towards them from all directions, followed by airborne stimulants. Male anacondas also frequently flick their tongues to sense chemicals that signal the presence of a female. Many males can often find the same female. This results in odd clusters referred to as "breeding balls", in which up to 12 males wrap around the same female and attempt to copulate. The groups can stay in this position for two to four weeks. This ball acts as a slow-motion wrestling match between the males, each one fighting for the opportunity to mate with the female. During mating, males make use of their spurs to arouse the female. They aggressively press their cloacal regions hard against the female body, while continuously scratching her with their spurs. This can produce a scratching sound. Mating approaches its climax when the stimulus of the males' spurs induces the female snake to raise her cloacal region, allowing the cloacae of the two snakes to move together. The male then coils his tail, surrounding the female, and they copulate. The strongest and largest male is often the victor. However, females are physically much larger and stronger and may decide to choose from among the males. Courtship and mating occur almost exclusively in water. Mating is followed by a gestation period of six to seven months. The species is ovoviviparous, with females giving birth to live young. Litters usually consist of 20 to 40 offspring, although as many as 100 may be produced. After giving birth, females may lose up to half their weight. Neonates are around 97–121 centimeters (3.2-4.0 feet) long and receive no parental care. Because of their small size, they often fall prey to other animals. Should they survive, they grow rapidly until they reach sexual maturity in their first few years, after which they continue to grow at a slower pace. The conservation status of the giant anaconda is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the giant anaconda's wide range.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii