Here’s an animal you wouldn’t want to meet: the anaconda, which is the world’s largest snake. It can grow up to 30 feet long – or about as long as your school bus! A full-grown anaconda can weigh up to 550 pounds.
As intimidating as they are, you’re not likely to see an anaconda soon, except maybe in the zoo. Anacondas live only in South America, where they hang out in rainforests near the Amazon River. They can’t move very fast on land, but they’re expert swimmers. They laze about in rivers and swamps waiting for prey to pass by. Then they pounce!
Fun Facts about Anacondas for Kids
- Anacondas are constrictors. They kill their prey by squeezing it to death.
- The green anaconda is the largest species. Other species include the Bolivian, yellow and dark-spotted anacondas.
- Anacondas have hinged jaws that can open very wide. They eat their prey whole, swallowing large animals all at once.
- Anacondas can go for weeks or even months without eating.
Anaconda Vocabulary
- Intimidate: to threaten or make afraid
- Laze: to be lazy
- Prey: animals hunted by other animals
- Hinged: jointed
Learn More All About Anacondas
Watch this cool documentary video of an anaconda:
A video of an anaconda devouring the world’s largest rodent.
Anaconda Q&A
Question: Do anacondas lay eggs?
Answer: Mother anacondas incubate eggs in their bodies. The babies are born live.
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Question: What do anacondas eat?
Answer: Anacondas eat anything they can catch – deer, wild pigs and even farm animals.
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