At more than 29 feet long, weighing more than 550 pounds, and
with a diameter of more than 12 inches, the green anaconda is
the world's largest snake. In the wild, the anaconda's diet
includes wild pigs, deer, birds, turtles, capybara, caimans, and
even jaguars. Anacondas are constrictors—they coil their bodies
around their prey and squeeze until the animal asphyxiates. The
snakes will then swallow their food whole. One large meal can
sustain an anaconda for weeks or even months. Females give birth
to live young, usually two to three dozen at a time. The young
anacondas do not need much from their mother as they are
immediately able to swim and hunt. © MSA 2005 Range: northern
South America Habitat: swamps, marshes, slow-moving rivers
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