{"id":1082,"date":"2024-02-26T21:53:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T05:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?p=1082"},"modified":"2025-07-09T19:10:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T02:10:49","slug":"worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/","title":{"rendered":"World&#8217;s Largest Snake Species Just Discovered in the Amazon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A team of scientists on location with a film crew in the remote Amazon has uncovered a previously undocumented species of giant anaconda.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Scientists discover new species of anaconda in the Amazon\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/m_GlvTmJuq8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From the Feb 20, 2024, <a href=\"https:\/\/stories.uq.edu.au\/contact-magazine\/giant-new-snake-species-identified-in-the-amazon\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press release<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/researchers.uq.edu.au\/researcher\/540\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Professor Bryan Fry<\/a>\u00a0from The University of Queensland led a team which captured and studied several specimens of the newly named <strong>northern green anaconda\u00a0<em>(Eunectes akayima)<\/em><\/strong>, located in the Bameno region of Baihuaeri Waorani Territory in the Ecuadorian Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key points:&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A new giant anaconda species has been identified in the Amazon.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The northern green anaconda was discovered during filming with National Geographic for their upcoming series&nbsp;<em>Pole to Pole with Will Smith<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scientists say the anaconda\u2019s ecosystem is under threat and further research is urgently needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur team received a rare invitation from the Waorani people to explore the region and collect samples from a population of anacondas, rumoured to be the largest in existence,\u201d Professor Fry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe indigenous hunters took us into the jungle on a 10-day expedition to search for these snakes, which they consider sacred. We paddled canoes down the river system and were lucky enough to find several anacondas lurking in the shallows, lying in wait for prey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cThe size of these magnificent creatures was incredible \u2013 one female anaconda we encountered measured an astounding 6.3 metres long.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere are anecdotal reports from the Waorani people of other anacondas in the area measuring more than 7.5 meters [24.6 feet] long and weighing around 500 kilograms [1102.3 pounds].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-attachment-id=\"1084\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/anaconda-on-a-riverbank-2560w-optimised-2560x1440-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-on-a-riverbank-2560w-optimised-2560x1440-1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1440\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"anaconda-on-a-riverbank-2560w-optimised-2560&amp;#215;1440-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-on-a-riverbank-2560w-optimised-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-on-a-riverbank-2560w-optimised-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-on-a-riverbank-2560w-optimised-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-on-a-riverbank-2560w-optimised-2560x1440-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-on-a-riverbank-2560w-optimised-2560x1440-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-on-a-riverbank-2560w-optimised-2560x1440-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-on-a-riverbank-2560w-optimised-2560x1440-1-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Northern green anaconda on a riverbank.&nbsp;<em>Image: Bryan Fry.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Professor Fry said the northern green anaconda species diverged from the southern green anaconda almost 10 million years ago, and they differ genetically by 5.5%. It\u2019s quite significant \u2013 to put it in perspective, humans differ from chimpanzees by only about 2%,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cThis discovery is the highlight of my career.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The new anaconda species was found while filming with National Geographic for their upcoming Disney+ series&nbsp;<em>Pole to Pole with Will Smith<\/em>, on which Professor Fry, a National Geographic Explorer, was the expedition\u2019s scientific leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur journey into the heart of the Amazon, facilitated by the invitation of Waorani Chief Penti Baihua, was a true cross-cultural endeavour,\u201d he said. \u201cThe importance of our Waorani collaborators is recognised with them being co-authors on the paper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The scientists also set out to compare the genetics of the green anaconda with specimens collected elsewhere by world-leading anaconda expert\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nmhu.edu\/our-faculty\/jesus-rivas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr Jesus Rivas<\/a>\u00a0from New Mexico Highlands University, and use them as an indicator species for ecosystem health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor Fry said the Amazon continues to face alarming ecological threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDeforestation of the Amazon basin from agricultural expansion has resulted in an estimated 20-31% habitat loss, which may impact up to 40% of its forests by 2050,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnother increasing problem is habitat degradation from land fragmentation, led by industrialised agriculture and heavy metal pollution associated with mining activities. Forest fires, drought and climate change are also notable threats.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cThese rare anacondas, and the other species that share this remote ecosystem, face significant challenges.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor Fry said his next research project would focus on heavy metal pollution in the Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not only these gigantic snakes that are facing environmental threats, but almost all living things in the region,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe discovery of a new species of anaconda is exciting, but it is critical to highlight the urgent need to further research these threatened species and ecosystems. Of particular urgency is research into how petrochemicals from oil spills are affecting the fertility and reproductive biology of these rare snakes and other keystone species in the Amazon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"597\" data-attachment-id=\"1083\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/anaconda-breeding-ball-900w-optimised-900x597-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-breeding-ball-900w-optimised-900x597-1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,597\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"anaconda-breeding-ball-900w-optimised-900&amp;#215;597-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-breeding-ball-900w-optimised-900x597-1.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-breeding-ball-900w-optimised-900x597-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1083\" srcset=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-breeding-ball-900w-optimised-900x597-1.jpg 900w, https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-breeding-ball-900w-optimised-900x597-1-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-breeding-ball-900w-optimised-900x597-1-768x509.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Northern green anaconda &#8216;breeding ball&#8217;.&nbsp;<em>Image: Jesus Rivas.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The research paper is published in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-2818\/16\/2\/127\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>MDPI Diversity<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/animals\/reptiles\/facts\/green-anaconda\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Geographic<\/a>, green anacondas are non-venomous, constricting snakes native to South America and are members of the boa family. The reptiles are considered the heaviest snakes in the world. On average, they live up to 10 years in the wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More photos below \u2193<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2571651847880215\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<!-- banner ad -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2571651847880215\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"7178535257\"\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:31.98612%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1088\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1440\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"anaconda-scales-2560w-2560&amp;#215;1440-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The scales of a northern green anaconda. Image: Bryan Fry.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"1088\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1440\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"anaconda-scales-2560w-2560&amp;#215;1440-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The scales of a northern green anaconda. Image: Bryan Fry.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 1 of 5 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1440\" data-id=\"1088\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=1088\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg\" data-width=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-scales-2560w-2560x1440-1-1024x576.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1089\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/eating-a-deer-750w-optimised-750x770-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-a-deer-750w-optimised-750x770-1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"750,770\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eating-a-deer-750w-optimised-750&amp;#215;770-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;A northern green anaconda eating a deer. Image: Jesus Rivas.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-a-deer-750w-optimised-750x770-1.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"1089\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/eating-a-deer-750w-optimised-750x770-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-a-deer-750w-optimised-750x770-1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"750,770\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eating-a-deer-750w-optimised-750&amp;#215;770-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;A northern green anaconda eating a deer. Image: Jesus Rivas.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-a-deer-750w-optimised-750x770-1.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 2 of 5 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-a-deer-750w-optimised-750x770-1.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-a-deer-750w-optimised-750x770-1.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=750&#038;ssl=1 750w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"770\" data-id=\"1089\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=1089\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-a-deer-750w-optimised-750x770-1.jpg\" data-width=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-a-deer-750w-optimised-750x770-1.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:68.01388%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1087\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/eating-another-reptile-in-the-shallows-750w-optimised-750x563-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-another-reptile-in-the-shallows-750w-optimised-750x563-2.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"750,563\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eating-another-reptile-in-the-shallows-750w-optimised-750&amp;#215;563-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;A northern green anaconda feeding on another reptile. Image: Jesus Rivas.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-another-reptile-in-the-shallows-750w-optimised-750x563-2.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"1087\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/eating-another-reptile-in-the-shallows-750w-optimised-750x563-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-another-reptile-in-the-shallows-750w-optimised-750x563-2.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"750,563\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eating-another-reptile-in-the-shallows-750w-optimised-750&amp;#215;563-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;A northern green anaconda feeding on another reptile. Image: Jesus Rivas.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-another-reptile-in-the-shallows-750w-optimised-750x563-2.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 3 of 5 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-another-reptile-in-the-shallows-750w-optimised-750x563-2.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-another-reptile-in-the-shallows-750w-optimised-750x563-2.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=750&#038;ssl=1 750w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"563\" data-id=\"1087\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=1087\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-another-reptile-in-the-shallows-750w-optimised-750x563-2.jpg\" data-width=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/eating-another-reptile-in-the-shallows-750w-optimised-750x563-2.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:54.20336%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1090\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1441\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560&amp;#215;1441-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Close-up of a northern green anaconda head.\u00a0Image: Bryan Fry.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2-1024x576.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"1090\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1441\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560&amp;#215;1441-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Close-up of a northern green anaconda head.\u00a0Image: Bryan Fry.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2-1024x576.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 4 of 5 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2-1024x576.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1441\" data-id=\"1090\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=1090\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2-1024x576.jpg\" data-width=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/anaconda-head-2560w-optimised-2560x1441-2-1024x576.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:45.79664%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1091\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/northern-green-anaconda-snake-2-022624-fe06bf3f1cb3477d98b7db7e2f9c91db\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/northern-green-anaconda-snake-2-022624-fe06bf3f1cb3477d98b7db7e2f9c91db.webp\" data-orig-size=\"750,500\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"northern-green-anaconda-snake-2-022624-fe06bf3f1cb3477d98b7db7e2f9c91db\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Norther green anaconda. Image: Jesus Rivas.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/northern-green-anaconda-snake-2-022624-fe06bf3f1cb3477d98b7db7e2f9c91db.webp\" data-attachment-id=\"1091\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/worlds-largest-snake-species-just-discovered-in-the-amazon\/northern-green-anaconda-snake-2-022624-fe06bf3f1cb3477d98b7db7e2f9c91db\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/northern-green-anaconda-snake-2-022624-fe06bf3f1cb3477d98b7db7e2f9c91db.webp\" data-orig-size=\"750,500\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"northern-green-anaconda-snake-2-022624-fe06bf3f1cb3477d98b7db7e2f9c91db\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Norther green anaconda. Image: Jesus Rivas.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/northern-green-anaconda-snake-2-022624-fe06bf3f1cb3477d98b7db7e2f9c91db.webp\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 5 of 5 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/northern-green-anaconda-snake-2-022624-fe06bf3f1cb3477d98b7db7e2f9c91db.webp?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/northern-green-anaconda-snake-2-022624-fe06bf3f1cb3477d98b7db7e2f9c91db.webp?strip=info&#038;w=750&#038;ssl=1 750w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"500\" data-id=\"1091\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=1091\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/northern-green-anaconda-snake-2-022624-fe06bf3f1cb3477d98b7db7e2f9c91db.webp\" data-width=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/northern-green-anaconda-snake-2-022624-fe06bf3f1cb3477d98b7db7e2f9c91db.webp?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A team of scientists on location with a film crew in the remote Amazon has uncovered a previously undocumented species of giant anaconda. From the Feb 20, 2024, press release:&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1092,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,34],"tags":[48,26,146,42,116,132,18,31],"class_list":["post-1082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animal-news","category-animal-tales","tag-american-animals","tag-animal-facts","tag-animal-news","tag-conservation","tag-reptiles","tag-snakes","tag-videos","tag-wild-animals"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Screenshot-2024-02-27-at-9.52.02-AM-copy.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1082"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2907,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1082\/revisions\/2907"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}