ENVIRONMENTAL MONITOR FILMS ANACONDAS IN BONITO

Vilmar Teixeira can’t see an anaconda without immediately pulling out his phone to record the animal. An environment monitor in the tourist region of Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, he has built up a collection of images of the giant snake.

"The biggest one I’ve ever seen was ‘Vovozona’, which measured 6 meters and 45 centimeters in length," said Vilmar.

The measurement was only possible after the snake died of natural causes in March of last year.

In the wild, anacondas are estimated to live for about 10 years.

Vilmar doesn’t capture anacondas to take measurements while they’re alive. For him, these animals must be respected and left in peace in their natural habitat.

That, however, doesn’t stop him from admiring them—from a safe distance for himself, the tourists, and the snakes.

Anacondas in Brazil

According to the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, three types of anacondas can be found in Brazilian territory:

• Spotted anaconda (Eunectes deschauenseii)
  Location: Marajó Island, Pará, and Amapá;
• Yellow anaconda or Pantanal anaconda (Eunectes notaeus)
  Location: Pantanal, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, and Pampa;
• Green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), the largest of the anaconda species
  Location: Amazon, Cerrado, and parts of the Atlantic Forest.

Anacondas are non-venomous, but they are muscular and coil around their prey to kill by asphyxiation. They are the heaviest snakes in the world in terms of mass.

They have semi-aquatic habits and spend most of their time in water—along lake shores, rivers, and streams.

Despite many legends and fictional tales, anacondas do not attack people and are not capable of feeding on adult cattle. Even so, animals such as caimans, capybaras, wild pigs, and even young tapirs are part of their diet.

With a very slow metabolism, they usually only feed about four times a year.

After eating, they remain motionless, which makes it easier for admirers like Vilmar to observe them.

"I’m an environmental monitor, but I currently work as a tour bus driver. In my free time, I go to the river in search of anacondas. They’re very important for the environment", he says.

"Anacondas are constantly sighted in Bonito because Bonito is a preserved area, and it's not only anacondas that are sighted, but an absurd amount of other animals. The region truly has an abundance of food for anacondas; although they specialize in mammals, they also eat fish, birds, and reptiles."

"The region's soil is rich in limestone, which makes the water as crystalline as possible. This natural phenomenon allows for clear visibility of everything underwater and greatly aids in anaconda sightings. It's normal for you to see one of these snakes during tours. Their presence might otherwise go unnoticed in murkier rivers."