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Anaconda Facts & Worksheets

An anaconda is a big, semi-aquatic reptile that lives in South American jungles and forests.

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An anaconda is a big, semi-aquatic reptile that lives in South American jungles and forests. They are nonvenomous, heavyweight snakes belonging to the genus Eunectes. They are part of the boa constrictor family.

See the fact file below for more information on the anaconda or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Anaconda worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Distribution and Habitat

  • The term anaconda refers to the genus of boa, namely the genus of Eunectes.
  • In Greek, Eunectes means “good swimmer.”
  • Anacondas are found in tropical South America, specifically the Amazon jungle.
  • They belong to the boa family, meaning they’re also in Madagascar, some parts of the Pacific, and the West Indies.
  • Anacondas are semi-aquatic creatures, meaning they thrive both on land and in water.
  • They live near wet places, such as swamps, rivers, and lakes.
  • They find comfort in water, especially in dark locations.
  • When they sense danger, they escape into the water.
  • Their eyes and nostrils remain above the surface of the water so they can see and breathe.
  • They can’t be submerged for too long: anacondas can stay underwater for about ten minutes at a time.
  • Despite their love for water, anacondas are still able to slither and sidewind on the ground.

Diet

  • Anacondas catch their prey by hiding in murky waters and waiting for the prey to come close to the surface.
  • Their diet consists mostly of amphibians like frogs.
  • They can eat almost anything: they also eat fish, birds, turtles, and mammals like ducks.
  • They can store enough food for a month.
  • Anacondas also like eating capybaras, the world’s largest rodent, which weighs up to 150 pounds.
  • Caimans and other reptiles are also part of an anaconda’s diet, as long as the anaconda puts in the work to hunt and kill them.

Size

  • The largest anaconda to ever be caught was 17 feet in length and 215 pounds in weight.
  • Anacondas are huge and weigh up to 300 pounds.
  • They can grow up to 20 feet long.
  • Anacondas are more muscular than boas.

Mating Season

  • The mating season of anacondas is April to May.
  • Females can eat whole males during mating season, especially when the male is meeker.
  • During mating season, one female is sought out by multiple males which surround the female.
  • The male who succeeds will put in a wax-like plug into the female’s cloaca to keep other males from mating with and fertilizing her.

Giving Birth

  • Anacondas don’t lay eggs; they give birth to live offspring.
  • They are ovoviviparous, meaning the eggs of their young are hatched inside their body
  • They give birth to up to 30 snakes at a time.
  • Females don’t eat when they’re pregnant to keep their young safe from hunting hazards.

Diet

  • Their typical diet consists of fruit and leaves.
  • Tamarind fruit is one of their favorites and can make up half of their consumption when they live close to it.
  • They are also known to eat flowers, insects, wood, and bark.
  • In the day, lemurs like to sunbathe.
  • Lemurs are able to slow down their metabolism when food is scarce.

Other Characteristics

  • Anacondas are solitary and good at being quiet.
  • They are very stealthy creatures.
  • They don’t leave traces so it’s hard to track them.
  • Anacondas are not an endangered species.
  • Their major threats are habitat loss, hunting, and exotic pet trade (which is now considered illegal).
  • Anacondas are classified into four species: the green anaconda, the yellow anaconda, the dark-spotted anaconda, the Bolivian anaconda.

Green Anaconda

  • The green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) is also called the water boa or common anaconda.
  • The green anaconda is the largest of the four species.
  • The longest anaconda discovered measured 17 feet in length.
  • It is the heaviest snake to be discovered, but not the longest one. The longest is the reticulated python.
  • It is olive green in color with big black spots all over.
  • It is slow on land but very swift to move in water.
  • It is nocturnal.
  • Most of its lifetime is spent near or underwater.
  • Green anacondas are able to swallow their prey whole because they can open their mouths 180 degrees wide.
  • Green anacondas have teeth but they don’t use them to chew. They use the teeth to hold onto their prey and keep it from escaping.
  • Legend has it that the green anaconda attacks and eats men, and even film and literature has portrayed these creatures to do so, but there is no evidence to prove that.
  • In South American myths, they are also depicted as magical spirits, shapeshifters, and water gods.

Yellow Anaconda

  • The yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus) is also called the Paraguayan anaconda.
  • This species is endemic to South America, particularly Paraguay, Bolivia, and parts of Argentina and Brazil.
  • The size of a yellow anaconda is smaller than that of a green anaconda.
  • The yellow anaconda is usually yellow but can also have other shades of yellow like tan or yellow green.
  • It has black or brown spots or streaks all over.

Dark-Spotted Anaconda

  • The dark-spotted anaconda (Eunectes deschauenseei) is also known as the Deschauensee’s anaconda.
  • It inhabits several parts of South America: northeastern Brazil, Guyana, and French Guiana.

Bolivian Anaconda

  • The Bolivian anaconda (Eunectes beniensis) is also known as the Beni anaconda because it is endemic to the Beni Province in Bolivia.

Anaconda Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about anaconda across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Anaconda worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about an anaconda which is a big, semi-aquatic reptile that lives in South American jungles and forests. They are nonvenomous, heavyweight snakes belonging to the genus Eunectes. They are part of the boa constrictor family.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Anaconda Facts
  • Boa Branding
  • Sort the Species
  • Hiding in Waters
  • Odd One Out
  • Snake Scramble
  • Anapros and Anacons
  • Ana-crostics
  • Photo Hunt
  • Snakify
  • Learning Anacondas

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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