THE anaconda - the world's largestsnake - carries the notorious reputation in folklore of being a monstrous,man-eating reptile that exhumes poisonous gases. It is also known to hypnotiseits human victims. The species (Eunectesmurinus) is found throughout SouthAmerica's Orinoco and Amazon riverbasins. Scientists are now trying tountangle fact from fiction with the helpof results from what they say is the firstfield study on the animal.
Researchers from the WildlifeConservation Society in New York,headed by conservation biologist JohnThorbjarnarson, are studying the creatures in a ranch called Hato El Cedral inVenezuela's illanos (savannas). They areconducting the study along with biologists from Venezuela's wildlife department, Profauna. Although the study isstill in the initial stages, some interestingfacts regarding the behaviour of the reptile have come to light. For instance, the act of mating involves a single femaleand about a dozen smaller males, inwhat is termed as a mating ball. Thisbehaviour has put the scientists in aquandary as to which male ought to beassociated with the offspring. JesusRivas, an ecologist at the University ofTennessee in Knoxville, us, is workingout the paternity problem through DNAtests.
Another fascinating facet of thesnakes is that inspite of being superpredators, they are sometimes a bitreckless in their ways. Although theynormally feed on docile ducks, theycould encounter 'dangerous' food too.The anacondas typically subdue theirvictims by squeezing them with a vice-like grip and then asphyxiating ordrowning them. It is the practice ofswallowing prey that gives rise to problems. Anacondas usually swallow theprey's head first, but could get injured ifthe victim struggles to free itself.According to Thorbjarnarson, theappetites of some snakes outstrip theirintellect. For instance, he has observed adead deer Whose antlers bore marks ofthe anaconda's teeth. Apparently, thesnake ma@e an unsuccessful attempt atswallowing the deer's head first but thengave up because of its antlers. It is alsoknown that some snakes have rippedthemselves into two halves, while tryingto swallow@ turtles with razor-sharpcarapace (upper shell). Though it isrumoureei,that anacondas can eathumans, there is as yet no scientific evidence to prove the same.
The study also revealed that a pregnant female eats little or nothing andstill bears 78 or more offspring. In orderto study the range of thesesnakes, the anacondas weretagged with radiotransmitters. It was found that duringthe dry season, the snakesroamed a fixed area, whichthey visited each year. Malesand non-pregnant femaleswere found in an area roughlymeasuring 20 ha. The pregnant female was content withremaining rather sedentary,till the time she delivered heryoung ones.
Biologists involved in thestudy are also devising waysand means to control andsubdue the anacondas whichare to be transported tolaboratories for study.