To prove the point of overestimating, in Guyana in 1937, zoologist Alpheus Hyatt Verrill asked the expedition team he was with to estimate the length of a large, curled-up anaconda on a rock. Numerous estimates and second-hand accounts abound, but are generally considered unreliable. Several zoologists (notably Henry Walter Bates and Alfred Russel Wallace, among others) note rumors of snakes beyond 30 or 40 feet long, but in each case, their direct observations were limited to snakes of approximately 20 feet in length. Numerous historical accounts of green anacondas are reported, often of improbable sizes. Older reports in particular could include individuals which, in times of less pressure from humans, lived longer lives and thus reached greater sizes. At the same time, it is difficult to argue a maximum possible or plausible size, because anacondas are known to continue to grow throughout their lives. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this species has been perhaps subject to the most extreme size exaggerations of any living animal. Observational reports of animals which were not captured are even more dubious, as even trained scientists often substantially overestimate the size of anacondas prior to capture. Reports without physical proof are considered dubious if from nonscientists, as such individuals may at worst be more interested in promoting themselves or telling a good tale, or at the least may not be sufficiently trained in proper measurement methods. Skins can stretch substantially, increasing the snake's size by more than 50% if stretched during the tanning process. Transporting very large specimens to museums, especially before substantial decay, is difficult (though this has not prevented the return of much larger and more cumbersome crocodilian specimens). The remote location of the snake's habitat has historically made locating, capturing, and returning specimens difficult. ![]() The eyes are set high on the head, allowing the snake to see out of the water while swimming without exposing its body. The head is narrow compared to the body, usually with distinctive orange-yellow striping on either side. The color pattern consists of olive green background overlaid with black blotches along the length of the body. Jesús Antonio Rivas, who had examined thousands of anacondas, was a female measuring 521 cm (17.09 ft) long and weighing 97.5 kg (215 lb). The longest (and heaviest) verified specimen encountered by Dr. ![]() ![]() A $50,000 cash reward is offered for anyone who can catch an anaconda 30 ft (9.1 m) or longer, but the prize has not been claimed yet. Reports of anacondas 35–40 feet or even longer also exist, but such claims need to be regarded with caution, as no specimens of such lengths have ever been deposited in a museum and hard evidence is lacking. Eunectes murinus is probably the heaviest extant species of snake or squamate in the world, perhaps only rivaled by the Komodo dragon. Although it is slightly shorter than the reticulated python, it is far more robust: the bulk of a 4.5m green anaconda would be comparable to a 7.4m reticulated python. It is the largest snake native to the Americas. Weights are less well studied, though will reportedly range from 30 to 70 kg (66 to 154 lb) in an average-range adult. More typical mature specimens reportedly can range up to 5 m (16.4 ft), with the females, at around a mean length of 4.6 m (15.1 ft), being generally much larger in adulthood than the male, which averages around 3 m (9.8 ft). ![]() The green anaconda is the world's heaviest and one of the world's longest snakes, reaching 5.21 m (17.1 ft) long.
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