A heavy yellow-and-black South American boa of the Pantanal and Chaco, smaller than the green anaconda but still among the largest snakes on Earth.
Description
The yellow anaconda is a stout, semi-aquatic boa usually 2.5 to 3.5 m long but capable of exceeding 4 m, with a bright yellow-gold ground colour and bold black ovals along the back. Females are markedly larger than males, and very large individuals can weigh over 50 kg.
Behavior
A semi-aquatic ambush hunter, the yellow anaconda lurks just below the water surface in marshes and slow channels, striking passing fish, birds, capybaras, and even small caimans. Females give birth to live young in late summer after a long gestation in shallow swamp water.
Range
Native to the Paraguay River drainage and adjacent Pantanal of South America, including parts of southern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. The species is heavily collected for the skin trade but remains widespread.