Introduction
The two largest snakes in the world are without hesitation pythons and anacondas. It's easy to understand why pythons and anacondas are frequently confused. They are both extremely long, strong snakes without venom that kill their prey by setting traps and constriction. But if you glance a little fairly close, they are quite different kinds of reptiles. Some individuals believe that a python and an anaconda are interchangeable. However, pythons and anacondas come from two different snake families. There are some notable differences in their behaviour and attitude and habitat despite their comparable size and appearance.
Anaconda vs Python
They both belong to two distinct types of families when you compare the two of them. Pythons and anacondas are members of different families of reptiles. The Amazon basin and South America are home to anacondas, which are members of the boa family. The Pythonidae family includes snakes. In Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and South East Asia, it prowls the thick, dense forests. The largest and heaviest snake in the world is an anaconda. The python, on the other hand, is unquestionably the lengthiest snake in the world. An anaconda can grow to be 25 feet long and weigh up to 550 pounds. The python, on the other hand, can lengthen to 33 feet or more. But a 20-foot anaconda will be heavier than a much longer one.
The eyes of the anaconda are on the top of its head. As a result, even when the snake is submerged in water, it can see its prey. The python prefers to rest on the drier ground and perch on trees. This snake has night vision. Because of this, it can surprise defenceless mammals and birds at night. The poor animal is drowned in the water by the anaconda after it bites it. On the other hand, the python suffocates and crushes its prey before eating it.
These two snakes are thought to be enormous. But keep in mind that pythons are longer and more agile, whereas anacondas are heavier and bulkier. African, Asian, and Australian habitats are just a few of the places where pythons can be found. They are constrictors, which means they encircle something with their strong bodies. Pythons hunt by ambush, waiting for their prey to come to them rather than going after them directly. Additionally, they have a reputation for being skilled climbers, able to scale trees and bushes in search of prey.
Difference between an Anaconda and Python in tabular form
| Parameters of comparison | Anaconda | Python |
| Scientific name | Eunectes murinus | Pythonidae, |
| Family | boa family | Python family |
| Physical | Largest and heaviest snake in the world | Longest snake in the world |
| Water | Semi-aquatic in nature | They usually are in land |
| Hunt | They hunt both in land as well as water | They hunt in land |
| Countries | South America | Africa, Asia, and Australia |
What is Anaconda?
Anaconda of the two species of constricting, water-loving anacondas (genus Eunectes) is found in tropical South America. The olive-coloured green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), also known as the giant anaconda, sucuri, or water, has alternating oval-shaped black spots on its body. The yellow or southern anaconda (E. notaeus) has pairs of overlapping spots and is considerably smaller. Anaconda in green anaconda in green On Trinidad, a Caribbean island, and in the tropical waters east of the Andes Mountains, green anacondas can be found. The biggest snake in the world is a green anaconda. Despite reliably measuring over 9 metres (30 feet) in length, anacondas are much larger and more heavily built than pythons, which have been reported to measure over 10 metres (33 feet). But most people don't go higher than 5 metres.
The snakes of the Eunectes genus, which are members of the boa family, are collectively referred to as "anacondas" in this context. Anacondas give birth to live young rather than eggs, unlike other snakes and the rest of the boa family. These large snakes, also known as water boas, are found in and around bodies of water. They behead their prey by twisting their bodies tightly around it until it is unable to breathe, at which point they swallow it whole. The Eunectes genus contains four different species.
Different types of anacondas
Green anaconda
Green anacondas lie in the water (typically at night) to ambush caimans and other animals that come for water, including capybaras, deer, tapirs, and peccaries. An anaconda grabs a large animal by the neck and quickly wraps its coils around it to strangle it to death. Anacondas only use their mouths and razor-sharp, backwards-pointing teeth to kill smaller prey, like baby turtles and diving birds. Onshore kills are frequently dragged into the water, possibly to deter jaguar attraction and to fend off biting ants drawn to the carcass. Green anacondas are not particularly aggressive in the wild. Herpetologists in Venezuela can easily capture them during the day by simply approaching the snakes and carrying them away in small groups.
In or very close to the water, green anacondas mate. A female gives live birth to 14–82 babies, each measuring more than 62 cm (24 inches) in length, after nine months. By the age of three, the young have almost reached a height of 3 metres (10 feet)
Bolivian Anaconda
The Beni anaconda, also known as the Bolivian anaconda, is a non-venomous species of Boa that is native to Bolivia's Beni Province. The snake is up to four metres long. Despite once being believed to be a cross between yellow and green anacondas, it is now recognised as a distinct species. All over its range, the anaconda's habitat is flooded, muddy, swampy, and aquatic. Eunectes beniensis, a species that can only be found in Bolivia, is similar to the green anaconda in terms of size and colouring. The Bolivian anaconda inhabits moist lowland forests and wetlands that, in comparison to their surroundings, are sparsely populated and underdeveloped. These enormous snakes, which resemble green anacondas, have black spots on a background of brownish, olive, or greyish green.
Yellow Anaconda
Smaller than Bolivian and green anacondas, yellow anacondas (Eunectes notaeus) can grow to a maximum length of about 10 feet. Bolivia, northeastern Argentina, northeastern Paraguay, and southern Brazil are all home to this snake. As their name implies, golden pythons are yellow or greenish-yellow and have black spots like all other pythons. Illegal poaching poses a threat to populations of golden pythons, which are killed for their meat and skin. A species of python found only in the wilds of South America is the golden python (Eunectes notaeus), also referred to as the Paraguayan Anaconda. Despite not being as large as a green python, it is still a huge reptile. The southern parts of the continent are where you can find the yellow anaconda.
Dark spotted Anaconda
Anaconda with black spots It is not well known that the black-spotted anaconda, Eunectes deschauenseei, can be found in several wetlands in the Brazilian states of Pará and Amapá. Like the golden pythons, they are smaller than green or Bolivian pythons. Typically, they have darker brown backgrounds with larger black spots. Even though the local agricultural expansion threatens the habitat of black-spotted anacondas, more study is required to determine how this habitat degradation affects them. The non-venomous python species Eunectes deschauenseei is indigenous to the northeastern parts of South America and is also known as De Schauensee's anaconda or the dark-spotted anaconda. It can be found in northeastern Brazil, in Guyana, and along French Guiana's coast. The black-spotted anaconda lives in the wetlands and marshes that make up its range.
What is a Python?
Any species of snake in the Pythonidae family is referred to as a python. Today, there are more than 20 different families of snakes, and the Pythonidae family, which includes 42 different species of pythons divided into 10 different genera, is roughly in the middle in terms of overall size. Naturally, we group animals into families and genera based on the distinctive traits they share, so it will be helpful to first comprehend what characteristics actually distinguish a snake from a python! Pythons, a family of snakes that includes them, have the following traits in common: Pythons do not possess venom. Fortunately, they can kill their next meal without venom. Pythons use ambush and constriction to kill their prey. Many species can blend in with their surroundings and wait patiently for prey to arrive.
True Pythons
The Python genus, also known as the "true" pythons, is the first group of pythons we'll discuss here. With a total of 10 living species, this is the Pythonidae family's biggest genus. The term "non-venomous, flecked snakes" was first used in 1803, which makes this one of the earliest genera proposed for the classification of modern-day python snakes. These specific pythons are also primarily indigenous to tropical areas of Asia and Africa. They prefer warm, muggy weather, and typically live in dense forests. Notably, this group contains a number of well-known exotic pet species, including the ball python and the Burmese python. Additionally, it contains the extinct European python species.
Morelia: The Tree Pythons
Morelia, also referred to as tree pythons, is the second-largest genus in the Pythonidae family. This genus currently contains six species and seven subspecies. They are primarily arboreal, as suggested by their common name, and spend a lot of time slithering through the canopy of hot, muggy forests. The main habitats of these snakes are Australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea. Notably, the majority of tree python species are remarkably lengthy! Take the carpet python, for instance, which can typically reach lengths of 6 to 13 feet. Tree pythons can also be surprisingly big and heavy considering their arboreal nature. They can weigh anywhere from four or five pounds to well over thirty pounds, depending on the species.
Amethystine Pythons
Somalia also referred to as the Amethystine python group or complex, is the third-largest genus in the Pythonidae family. This genus contains six species with no subspecies, all of which are found primarily in Indonesia, New Guinea, and Australia. Strangely, the scales of these magnificent snakes frequently have an iridescent sheen that gives them a shimmering appearance. The majority of species also have vibrant colours, ranging from reds and greens to yellows and browns. Depending on the species, they can grow to be anywhere from 6 to 15+ feet long and weigh anywhere from 10 to 60+ pounds, making them some of the longest and heaviest snakes in Australia and Indonesia. In particular, Simalia amethystine is particularly large and bulky, with a maximum length of more than 18 feet and a maximum weight of more
Liasis: The Water Pythons
The semi-aquatic nature of the Liasis genus of pythons is what makes it the most well-known. The genus contains three distinct species and five subspecies, and they are commonly referred to as simply "water pythons." The Liasis genus of pythons favours warm, humid, low-lying habitats near sizable bodies of water. In order to attack their aquatic prey, which includes a variety of fish, frogs, and toads as well as nearby rodents and birds, they frequently camouflage themselves and wait in wait. These snakes have a similar geographic range, which includes southern Indonesia, eastern New Guinea, and northern and western Australia. They are quite large, with lengths ranging from about 7 to 10 feet. The olive python stands out among the group as being the biggest and most aquatic-adapted.
Malayopython: The Reticulated Pythons
Malayopython is the next genus, with only two species and three subspecies. The geographical ranges of the two species, including much of Southeast Asia and India, are comparable. Two species that were once part of the aforementioned python genus, the brocade python and the Timor python, were later separated into their own genus, Malayopython, in 1975. They are specifically classified because of the "pits", especially those which are located around their mouth. and nostrils. The
reticulated python and the Timor python are very long and sturdy snakes. Brocade pythons, on the other hand, are particularly impressive as many of them can reach lengths of up to 20 feet and weigh over 150 pounds. In fact, it is one of the heaviest snakes in the world!
Antaresia
Another well-known genus in the Pythonidae family is Antaresia. There are two subspecies and four species in it. John George Children is honoured by the name of this species of python, which is also referred to as the children's python. The first species (also known as a type species) for the genus was found and recorded when Children was the curator of the British Museum. Strangely, the smallest snakes in the Pythonidae family belong to this genus! Children's pythons are typically quite small, with average lengths of only 1 to 3 feet. The pygmy python, which is the smallest species, typically grows to only be about 20 inches long.
Differences between Anaconda and Python in Points
- What separates an anaconda from a python The anaconda is a member of the Boe family, and the snake is a member of the Python family.
- Anacondas are only found in four different species, whereas there are more than 40 different types of ponies.
- Pythons are thought to be the longest snakes in the world, while anacondas are the biggest and heaviest.
- While pythons prefer to hunt their prey on dry land, anacondas are more likely to hunt their prey both on land and in water.
- Anacondas live in South America, while pythons reside in Asia, Australia, and Africa.
- Both of them are nonvenomous snakes, and they ambush their prey in different ways.
Conclusion
Overall, we can conclude that they are the world's biggest and longest snakes. Both are nonvenous snakes, and we can tell that they come from different families. Pythons live in Asia, Africa, and Australia while anacondas are found in South America. Although neither of the snakes is a water snake, they prefer to be close to it because it is cooler. Before eating their prey, they prefer to first kill them. Before they eat a substantial meal, they frequently go for a very long time without eating.
