Anacondas

1
Anacondas

• By James Rm. 35 Grade 2

2

• The Anaconda is a snake. It is part of the
  reptile family. It lives in the tropical, warm
  places of South America. They can be found
  throughout Brazils Amazon region and even as far
  south as northern Argentina. They will even live
  on the small island of Trinidad, which is north
  of Brazil. Did you know that anacondas are
  semi-aquatic? That means that they spend some of
  their time in the water.

3

• They like living near slow-moving rivers and
  swamps. They can rest and sun themselves on
  branches hanging above the water. When something
  disturbs them they drop into the water and just
  swim away. The animal family of anacondas, boas,
  and pythons contains some of the biggest snakes
  in the world! Anacondas grow only about 23 feet
  but are the heaviest snakes on earth. They can
  weigh 400 pounds and have a body 3 feet thick.
  The largest anaconda ever measured weighed 600
  pounds. Now thats what I call a big snake !

4

• They have some pretty familiar body parts we do
  have. A heart, stomach, a liver, kidneys,
  intestines, and lungs. All these organs are long
  and thin so they can fit inside the snakes body.
  

5

• Anacondas have many backbones called vertebrae.
  These make the snake flexible and strong. Large
  snakes can have up to 400 vertebrae ! Like all
  snakes, anacondas developed from lizards a long
  time ago. In fact, anacondas still have two very
  small hind legs that look like small claws.

6

• Anacondas come in many different shades of
  brown, green and yellow. Did you know that the
  largest kind of anaconda is sometimes called the
  green anaconda because of its olive and green
  colours. The smaller one, called the yellow
  anaconda has more golden tan or yellow. All
  anacondas have dark spots or blotches all over
  them.

7

• These patterns will make the snakes harder to
  spot. From above, anacondas look like spots with
  sunlight shining on the waters surface. The
  animals they hunt for are called their prey.
  Anacondas are carnivores. This means that they
  eat other animals. Baby anacondas usually eat
  fish.

8

• Adults will eat water birds, small animals,
  crocodiles and some even bigger animals! They
  sometimes will eat a dog, sheep or pig. Anacondas
  lie in shallow waters near the shore, with only
  their eyes and nostrils above the water. When
  theyre doing this they are camouflaging
  themselves. When a prey animal comes to drink
  they surprise it and kill it.

9

• Are anacondas poisonous ? No, but they squeeze
  their prey. This is called constricting. First
  they grab their prey with their backward-curving
  teeth. Then it wraps itself around it and begins
  to squeeze. Every time the animal breathes the
  snake squeezes harder. Finally the animal runs
  out of breath and dies.

10
Credits

• Anacondas
• By Mary Ann Macdonald
• Pictures
• Slide 1 9 from http//members.aol.com/gonyosoma
  /snakepic.html
• Slide 2 drawn by James
• Slide 3 None
• Slide 4 5 drawn by James
• Slide 6 from the book Anacondas
• Slide 7 from the book Anacondas
• Slide 8 None