After giving birth, female anacondas leave her young to defend for themselves. The gestation period is 6 months, after which the female gives birth to from 4 to 82 young at a size of about 60 cm in length. Females incubate eggs in their bodies and give birth to already hatched young. Yellow anacondas breed between April and May every year. Larger males may successfully breed with more females as a result. Normally the largest male will win successfully outcompete other males. In the breeding ball, males compete for mating access to the female. These breeding balls have been known to stay together for up to a month. Yellow anacondas have been known to form breeding balls, consisting of one female and multiple males. This courtship normally will take place in water and may last for quite some time. Males then follows the scent to the female and begin courtship. Males become attracted to females when she produces pheromones released into the air. ( Leen, 1978)įor the most part, yellow anacondas are sequentially monogamous. Yellow anacondas seem to have indeterminate growth. These young are immediately able to live on their own.

Range length 2.4 to 4.6 m 7.87 to 15.09 ftįemales, after a 6 month gestation period, give birth to fully-developed live young.

Range mass 40 (high) kg 88.11 (high) lb.

Male yellow anacondas can reach up to 3.7 m in length while a female can reach a length of 4.6 m. Females grow longer than males and generally weigh more as well. This provides camouflage in murky water or in forest vegetation. Yellow anacondas have yellowish-green scales with brown or blackish bands and overlapping spots that wrap around the entire body. ( Burton, 1967)Īlthough yellow anacondas are much smaller than green anacondas ( Eunectes murinus, the world's largest snakes) they do reach lengths of up to 4.6 meters (typical adult range 3 to 4 m). During the rainy months, yellow anacondas can be found in flooded, treeless areas, where they hunt for aquatic species such as fish or caimans ( Caiman). During droughts they can be found using caves for shelter and along river banks in holes that retain water. They can also be observed in forests searching for large game, such as brocket deer or peccaries.

Yellow anacondas can be found in swamps and marshlands with slow-moving rivers or streams. Yellow anacondas occur in southern South America, including Paraguay, southern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and Bolivia.

Anaconda