Post #14403

Anaconda: Movies lie. 5 facts that break the mold about this snake Anaconda is the perfect horror movie hero. Huge, quiet, deadly and as if specially created to instill primitive horror. But the more scientists study this snake, the more it... irritates them. Because the anaconda refuses to fit into our stereotypes. We'll tell you about five facts that break the mold about this snake. 1. We don't know the size of the largest anaconda Agree, when we talk about the heaviest snake in the world, I would like more specifics. The only thing worse than knowing that there is a huge, deadly monster in the jungle is not knowing about it. If you don’t know, then our imagination will throw up the most terrible ideas that are worse than the snake itself. To date, the maximum recorded length of the anaconda is 5.2 meters, weight - 97 kilograms. This is quite enough to open a brick factory upon meeting. But there is a lot of evidence of snakes up to 8 or even 11 meters long. And it would be okay if these were isolated tales around the fire, no - there are a huge number of such statements. But science only accepts officially confirmed data for a record, that is, a live or not-so-living snake, or at least reliable reports. But there are none in the deep jungle, and this is very annoying. 2. Anaconda does not strangle its prey Every schoolchild knows that if you fall into the arms of an anaconda, you will never get out alive. The snake will wrap you in tight coils in seconds and strangle you, and then definitely eat you. But this is fundamentally wrong! The snake does not “strangle” as is commonly thought. She does not cut off oxygen to her victim, because this is long and boring. In reality, the reptile squeezes its prey so tightly that it blocks its circulatory system. The pressure of the snake muscles on the victim from the outside is several tens of times higher than the normal blood pressure inside the unfortunate victim. The anaconda reacts sensitively to every sigh and twitch, constantly squeezing its embrace. So the heart of the prey stops in a matter of minutes - and the food is served! 3. Anaconda doesn't eat people Any inhabitant of the jungle can become prey for a giant snake - a victim weighing up to 50 kilograms is placed in the reptile's mouth. Capybaras, tapirs, deer, caimans and even other anacondas - the snake will eat all this for its sweet soul. As you can see, people are not listed on the menu. And all because the reptile does not engage in cannibalism. Swallowing a person is a technically feasible task for a snake. But in reality, reptiles attack people extremely rarely. And no deaths have been documented by science at all! This is because people are difficult prey. Anacondas swallow their prey whole. Humans' broad shoulders and hips make us a physically difficult target to swallow—requiring enormous effort and putting the snake at risk. In addition, anacondas in the wild prefer to avoid people. We are a potential t