New Species of Anaconda Discovered with Body Length 'Over' 6m, Largest Ever Found

A 5.5% Genetic Difference from Existing Anaconda Species
Researchers Suggest Divergence Occurred Around 10 Million Years Ago

A new species of anaconda has been discovered in the Amazon rainforest. The newly found species is known to be among the largest of the anacondas, which are the biggest snakes in the world.

On the 29th of last month (local time), US media outlet CNN reported that a research team from the University of Queensland in Australia, exploring the Amazon region of Ecuador in South America, discovered a green anaconda estimated to be the largest in the world, measuring 6.3 meters in length. The research findings on this species were published in the scientific journal Diversity.

Until now, only one species of wild green anaconda, scientifically named Eunectes murinus, was known to exist, but another species of green anaconda, named Eunectes achiyama, has now been identified.

Green anaconda at five days old
[Image source=Yonhap News]

A video was also released showing Dutch biologist Freek Vonk, who participated in the study, swimming alongside an Eunectes achiyama anaconda measuring approximately 6.1 meters in length and weighing about 200 kg. According to the Natural History Museum in the UK, the largest recorded green anaconda to date measures 8.4 meters in length and weighs 227 kg.

The research team considers the newly discovered anaconda a new species based on the fact that anacondas have so far been found in warm regions of South America.

The researchers stated, “The newly identified northern green anaconda diverged from the southern green anaconda nearly 10 million years ago, and the study showed that although these two species of green anacondas look almost identical, 5.5% of their total genes differ from each other.”

The world's largest snake, Anaconda
[Image source=Pixabay]

Brian Fry, an anaconda expert and biology professor at the University of Queensland who participated in the study, explained, “The genetic difference between humans and chimpanzees is only about 2%. Considering this, a 5.5% genetic difference is incredibly significant.”

Professor Fry also stated, “Anacondas are very useful indicator species for assessing the damage caused by severe oil spills in the Yasun? region of eastern Ecuador.” He added, “Rare species like the green anaconda are threatened by habitat destruction, wildfires, droughts, and climate change,” emphasizing the need to preserve the Amazon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.