Green Anacondas can grow to be the heaviest snakes in the world, with reports of some reaching close to nine metres and weighing in at nearly 250kg!

At this size, these snakes can have a girth of 40cm, making them a very formidable predator.

Green Anacondas inhabit the wetlands of South America’s Amazon Basin, allowing the water to support their bulk, while they wait in ambush at the water’s edge. Anacondas are members of the Boa family, just like the famed Boa Constrictors of Central and South America.

All boas are muscular constrictors and all are completely non-venomous, relying on their physical strength to overcome prey. For a large adult Green Anaconda, even things like peccaries and capybara (both the size of a wild pig), are on the menu!

We have two Green Anacondas at Taronga Zoo, one of which is on display for visitors to see in our Reptile House. These two snakes came to us in 2005 from the USA, weighing less than two kilograms each.

Our Reptile Keepers routinely weigh and measure all of our animals, as a way to monitor their growth and health.

We recently weighed and measured the smallest of our Anacondas with the help of several keepers. She tipped the scales at 18.3kg and measured 3.3 metres!

While this is quite impressive, you can come and visit her big sister on display, who is due for her routine weigh and measure very shortly.

- Keeper, Chris Dryburgh