How Do Anacondas Eat Their Prey?

Anacondas live primarily in the Amazon and Orinoco rain forests in South America. They are at home in marshes, slow-moving rivers and swampland. The anaconda's ability to stay partially hidden in water makes it an effective predator. The snake's eyes and nostrils are on the top of its head, allowing it to remain partially submerged and concealed while it searches for food. Female anacondas grow larger than males, reaching 29 feet in length.

  1. Types of Prey

    • Caimans may look fierce, but they are a common meal for the anaconda.

      Anacondas eat caimans, which are similar to alligators. They also feast on wild pigs, deer, birds, turtles, other snakes and even jaguars. Large prey does not deter the snake -- full-grown caimans and deer may weigh as much as a small person.

      Even though anacondas are sometimes featured as blood-thirsty predators in horror movies, there are few records of anaconda attacks on humans. This may be because prime anaconda habitat is usually not populated by people.

    Hunting Technique

    • The capybaras, a large rodent, may fall victim to anacondas near the water.

      Anacondas depend on their sight and smell to locate prey. Since they are not fast-moving snakes, they typically lurk in the water and wait to ambush other animals. Special heat-sensing pits that border the sides of their mouths help them find warm-blooded mammals.

      Anacondas have also been known to hang themselves from low-hanging tree branches, allowing them to surprise prey from above as well. (See References 2)

    Killing Prey

    • Anacondas are members of the boa family. Like other boas, the snake coils its massive body around its prey and constricts tighter and tighter. The prey animal suffocates or is crushed to death.

      While an anaconda can bite, the snake is not venomous and a bite would not be fatal to a human.

    Eating Prey

    • Anacondas can survive for months between meals. When they have an opportunity to eat, however, the snakes waste no time. An anaconda's jaw is attached to its skull with stretchy ligaments that allow the snake to easily unhinge its jaw and swallow the prey whole. The snake's teeth allow it to grasp its victim firmly, facilitating the act of swallowing.

    Other facts

    • Anaconda females give birth to 25 to 35 live young at a time. The babies are 2 feet long and can immediately swim and hunt upon birth. Average lifespan in the wild is about a decade.