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Green Anaconda Count

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Anaconda Population by Country 2024

Anacondas are often called the biggest snake in the world, and they are certainly the heaviest. Weighing up to 550 pounds, they can grow to be 30 feet long and 12 inches in diameter. Its size, along with the terrifying fact that it can open its mouth to three times the size of its own head, has made it the object of both awe and fear. In 1997, the movie Anaconda launched the South American snake into the public consciousness, and it became a beast of legend: a giant man-eating snake.

In reality, although anacondas are capable of taking down other predators such as jaguars, there are few instances of them eating humans. However, it is important to know that "few" means more than zero. For that reason, it is important to understand where in the world you might come face-to-face with an anaconda.

Luckily, the Anaconda has a very specific habitat. They live east of the Andes in South America where the tropical rivers and swamps allow them to relax as they wait for their prey. The green anaconda is most common and can be found in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Trinidad, and Paraguay. Additionally, Bolivia is home to the Bolivian anaconda and the yellow anaconda can be found in Paraguay.

It's hard to know exactly how many Anacondas exist in the wild. They are not currently considered endangered, but humans have taken a particular interest in them. Local farmers will often kill Anacondas to protect their farms. Hunters will also collect their skin to sell, and unfortunately, poachers will sometimes capture anacondas to sell as illegal pets.

Don't worry too hard about running into an escaped pet outside of South America. Anacondas live about ten years in the wild and only mate in the spring. After mating season, females give birth to 24 to 50 baby Anacondas. These tiny snakes are 2-3 feet long and immediately set out on their own to hunt and grow.

  • Four species of anaconda are currently known. All are native to South America and none are currently considered endangered
  • Green/Giant anaconda - Eunectes murinus, w two subspecies: Eunectes murinus murinus and Eunectes murinus gigas
  • Dark Spotted anaconda - Eunectes deschauenseei
  • Yellow/Paraguayan anaconda - Eunectes notaeus
  • Bolivian/Beni anaconda - Eunectes beniensis
  • Anaconda populations are monitored very loosely (if at all) in most countries. Those population counts which do exist often include significant levels of estimation and may vary between sources.
Country
Green Anaconda Count
Has Bolivian Anacondas
Has Dark Spotted Anacondas
Has Green Anacondas
Has Yellow Anacondas
Trinidad and Tobago900,000NoNoYesNo
Paraguay800,000NoNoYesYes
Brazil700,000NoYesYesYes
Bolivia600,000YesNoYesYes
Peru500,000NoNoYesNo
Ecuador400,000NoNoYesNo
Venezuela200,000NoNoYesNo
Colombia100,000NoNoYesNo
Argentina100,000NoNoPossiblyYes
Guyana30,000NoNoYesNo
Suriname30,000NoPossiblyYesNo
French Guiana30,000NoYesYesNo
UruguayNoNoNoPossibly
Total4,390,000

Sources