Common names: yellow anaconda, Paraguayan anaconda.^[2]

Eunectes notaeus is a non-venomous boa species found in South America. No subspecies are currently recognized.^[3]

Description

Adults are not as large as the green anaconda, E. murinus, but nevertheless grow to an average of 10 to 12 feet (3.0 to 3.7 m) in length. The maximum size is almost certainly larger.^[2] Females are larger than males.

The color pattern consists of a yellow, golden-tan or greenish-yellow ground color overlaid with a series of black or dark brown saddles, blotches, spots and streaks.^[2]

Geographic range

Found in southern South America in eastern Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. In Argentina it is found in the provinces of Corrientes, Chaco, Entre Rios, Formosa, Misiones and Santa Fe. The type locality given is "Paraguay River and confluents."^[1]

Habitat

Prefers mostly aquatic habitats including swamps, marshes, and brush covered banks of slow moving rivers and streams.

Feeding

These snakes were studied in regularly flooded areas in the Pantanal region of southwestern Brazil. The data collected was directly observed from predatory instances, analysis and examination of gut and waste contents, as well as affirmations by local residents and other researchers. These studies indicate that the species is a generalist feeder. The prey list analyzed and other evidence suggests that E. notaeus employs both "ambush predation" and "wide-foraging" strategies. The snakes forage predominately in open, flooded habitats, in relatively shallow water; whereas most predation instances occur from June to November, when flooded areas have noticeably dried out, with Wading birds being the most common prey. They have also been known to prey on fish, turtles, small-sized caimans, lizards, birds eggs, small mammals and fish carrion. The prey to predator weight ratio is often much higher than those known for other types of boids.^[4]

Captivity

As captives they have a reputation for being unpredictable.^[2]

See also

• List of boine species and subspecies
• Boinae by common name
• Boinae by taxonomic synonyms

References