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Sunday December 08, 2024

Northern Green Anaconda: World's largest snake in Amazon rainforest has head the size of human

This month, Diversity published a fresh study that validated the Northern Green Anaconda's status as a separate species

By Web Desk
February 20, 2024
Incredible footage shows Dutch biologist, Professor Freek Vonk, swimming next to the enormous anaconda. — Jam Press Vid/Studio Freek, Amst/File
Incredible footage shows Dutch biologist, Professor Freek Vonk, swimming next to the enormous anaconda. — Jam Press Vid/Studio Freek, Amst/File

The Amazon Rainforest is home to the largest snake in the world, measuring 26 feet long and weighing 440 pounds.

Thick as a car tyre, the Northern Green Anaconda was discovered by TV wildlife broadcaster Professor Freek Vonk, according to Daily Mail.

It appears that Professor Vonk, 40, wasn't afraid to get close and personal with the snake despite it having a head the size of a human.

The Dutch biologist is seen swimming adjacent to the massive anaconda in amazing footage.

There is now just one species of Green Anaconda identified in the Amazon, which is also known as the Giant Anaconda.

This month, Diversity published a fresh study that validated the Northern Green Anaconda's status as a separate species.

"Together with 14 other scientists from nine countries, we discovered that the largest snake species in the world, the green anaconda,' Professor Vonk said.

"As we all know it from movies and stories about giant snakes - are actually two different species," he added.

"The green anacondas found in the north of their range in South America - including Venezuela, Suriname, and French Guiana - appear to belong to a completely different species Although they look almost identical at first glance, the genetic difference between the two is 5.5% and that is huge. To put this in perspective, humans and chimpanzees are only genetically different from each other by about 2%," she further added.

Eunectes akayima, or the Northern Green Anaconda, is the Latin name that the researchers have given to this new species.

The new species is already threatened, according to the researchers, even though it was only recently found.