| Anacondas have always aroused fear and sent chills | | | | to us, but it is we who are a threat to them. |
| down our spines through the ages. Just imagine, have | | | | An anaconda is a constrictor. It kills its prey by |
| you ever thought about anaconda eating people? | | | | wrapping and constricting itself around its prey till the |
| Lately, their portrayal in Hollywood movies has | | | | prey dies of asphyxiation or lack of air. The fangs of |
| resulted in people dreading them. | | | | the anaconda are non-poisonous. They only help the |
| But what actually is the anaconda? Is it an organism | | | | anaconda to get a tight hold of the prey so that |
| to be really feared, or it's just fear factor just a tall | | | | wrapping itself around the prey becomes easier. |
| tale? Here are some additional facts that may shade | | | | Once the anaconda bites a prey, it coils around its |
| some light on what kind of a creature an anaconda | | | | victim and suffocates the animal. Every time the |
| actually has become through history and not from | | | | animal releases its breath, the coils tighten, thereby |
| the Hollywood point of view: | | | | stopping the prey from breathing. Post that, the |
| The Term Anaconda: | | | | lifeless body is swallowed whole by the predator. The |
| Some people believe that the term "anaconda" is | | | | best aspect about an anaconda is the fact that it |
| derived from the word "henakandeya". In the | | | | does not waste anything since it swallows the victim |
| Sinhalese language, this means 'a whip snake' or 'a | | | | whole along with feathers, beak, horns, heels - |
| thing with an enormous body'. Apart from this, the | | | | everything. |
| more accepted version is that the anaconda got its | | | | So next time you see an Anaconda snake, do not be |
| name from the Tamil word "anaikondran" which | | | | afraid - it is just a harmless, gentle giant that is trying |
| means 'an elephant killer'. | | | | to live its life. Then of course, if you try to make the |
| Other than these two versions, people from | | | | animal perceive you will endanger its habitat - you're |
| different places have given the anaconda different | | | | surely in for a surprise. |
| names. The ancient Spaniards called it 'Matatoro' | | | | Touching it while in the steps through South America |
| meaning 'a bull killer', the people of North America | | | | will probably be one of those adventures available |
| called it by the names of 'sucuri' and 'yukumama'. | | | | only in your mind, however, if you happen to be in |
| Did You Know about John Kricher? According to the | | | | such position and thinking of touching comes to your |
| expert John Kricher, the anaconda is the only natural | | | | current state of mind - beware! |
| predator that can prey on a Jaguar. The anaconda is | | | | You've been caution and informed about these giant |
| the largest predator of the mammalian type in the | | | | reptiles. As a reminder and closing, have you ever |
| whole of Arizona. | | | | thought about an anaconda snake eating people? It |
| Contrary to the popular myth, anacondas do not | | | | probably will never happen, only in pictures or coming |
| prey on human beings. In fact, when an anaconda | | | | close to it - but there have never been a reported |
| smells the scent of a human being it moves away | | | | case. |
| from the place. So it's not them that pose a danger | | | | |