How large can an anaconda grow?

Answer 1

There is some speculation and a lot of sensationalizing with the answer to this question, many authorities agree between 30 ft. (9.14 m) to 33 ft. (10.05 m) is the longest, with some saying 37 ft. (11.27 m), any length above these still lack acceptable documentation and they're claims are dubious at best.

The Green Anaconda, on average anacondas are more then 20 ft (6.09 m) long with and average weight of 300+ pounds (136.08+ kg) many reaching lengths of 29ft ( 8.83 m) or more, with a weight of over 550 lbs ( 249.48 kg).

General information!

Anacondas Scientific classification.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Suborder: Serpentes

Family: Boidae

Subfamily: Boinae

Genus: Eunectes

The question what is the biggest snake can be confusing, the biggest as far as girth (largest being measured at 44 inches or 1,1176 m) is the Green Anaconda, on average anacondas are more then 20 ft (6.09 m) long with and average weight of 300+ pounds (136.08+ kg) many reaching lengths of 29ft ( 8.83 m) or more, with a weight of over 550 lbs ( 249.48 kg), in terms of length then and only then will the Reticulated Python exceed the anaconda, the longest python was measured at 33 ft ( 10.05 m) but even this python can't match the total mass of the anaconda.

Anacondas are members of the Boidae family of reptiles and spend most of their time in rivers and swamps of the Amazon Rainforest in South America which makes them excellent swimmers and are capable of holding their breath for around 15 minutes, female anacondas are generally 3 to 4 times larger then the males and bear their young live and are called "Neonates", the number of young varies, some have produced 100 babies, but the average is between 20 to 40 babies which are about 24 inches (0.6 m) long. Diet consist of (depending on the size of the anaconda, the larger the snake the larger the prey) large/small rodents like capybaras, also pigs, caiman, jaguars, deer, dogs, birds even fish and is acquired by ambushing with a quick strike, 100 rear-facing sharp teeth hold the prey while suffocating it with constriction, (the anaconda is so powerful it generally crushes it's prey) then swallowing it whole, the digestion of the anaconda is very slow thereby allowing it to survive without food for well over a year.

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.