Water Anaconda

Water Anaconda, a snake similar to a water python, is the largest snake species among the current snakes. Adult water anacondas can reach a length of 5-10 meters and weigh up to 220 kilograms. They inhabit rivers and can stay submerged in water for a long time or expose their heads slightly above the water surface. They mainly prey on terrestrial animals such as mammals and birds. In some places, they also swallow short-snouted crocodiles. They give birth to live young. They have the phenomenon of summer hibernation, which may be related to the drying of their habitat. Water anacondas can bury themselves in the mud to reduce water evaporation from their bodies.

Chinese Name: 水蚺

Latin Name: Eunestes Murinus

Alias: Giant Water Anaconda

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Suborder: Serpentes

Family: Boidae

Subfamily: Boinae

Genus: Eunectes

Species: Eunectes Murinus

Subspecies: Eunectes Murinus

Distribution: Amazon River basin in South America

Water Anaconda, the largest snake species in the world, is larger in size for females than males, but there is no specific length mentioned in the literature. The Green Anaconda, discovered in Brazil in 1907, is rumored to have a total length of 18.9 meters (which is false). Its body color is olive or dark yellow, with black oval-shaped spots.

They feed on water birds, turtles, capybaras, tapirs, and other prey. They can even prey on crocodiles. The Amazon Anaconda is non-venomous. Like many snakes, they first wrap their bodies around the prey to suffocate it and then swallow it.

Water Anacondas are mainly found in marshy areas around the world. Among them, the largest species, the Green Anaconda, is distributed deep in the tropical rainforests of South America and has sporadic distribution in the Amazon River.

Although water anacondas are not venomous, they are not suitable for domestication. They have a very large body size, so eating a fat person is usually only half full. The cost of raising them is high. Like most snake species, water anacondas are ovoviviparous. They usually defend themselves by retreating. If they are cornered, water anacondas will bite humans, and their large size and weight can pose a danger to people. Female water pythons retain fertilized eggs in their bodies until they hatch.

(1) Cold

Clinical conditions: Colds are mostly caused by large temperature changes. Although they are easy to treat, it is also important to not be careless as it can easily develop into respiratory diseases. The clinical conditions of a cold include sneezing, runny nose, and difficulty breathing.

Treatment methods: In the early stages, warming can be done by increasing the temperature to 30 degrees for constant temperature control. If the cold is severe, not only warming is required, but also appropriate treatment. Cold medicine can be used for soaking or feeding. Most cold medicines are antibiotics, which can have certain stimulating effects on pythons. Therefore, medication should not be used unless necessary. The dosage is not clearly defined, but personally, I believe it should be 1/4 to 1/5 of the dose for humans, administered subcutaneously.

(2) Oral inflammation

Clinical conditions: Oral inflammation is indeed a common disease among pythons. The causes of oral inflammation vary, including bacterial invasion during spring or aggressive pythons. Unsuitable food can also cause oral inflammation. Overfeeding can sometimes cause it as well.

Treatment methods: Oral inflammation is not an incurable and difficult-to-treat disease. There are many successful cases of treatment among snake owners. The symptoms of oral inflammation include redness and swelling in the mouth, possible rotting and tooth loss, and mucous discharge from the corners of the mouth. Severe cases may result in refusal to eat. There are many medicines and methods for treating oral inflammation. First, use clean water to spray the snake's mouth to remove the mucous. Then, use diluted hydrogen peroxide (1:11:3 can be used) and a disinfectant swab to clean the oral cavity and remove any debris. After that, apply diluted oxytetracycline (2% to 4% depending on the situation) to the inside of the mouth twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Pay attention to observation and generally, recovery can occur within 4 to 7 days. After recovery, use the medication once every 2 to 3 days. Another method mentioned by experts is to wash with distilled water, disinfect with diluted hydrogen peroxide (1:1), rinse off the foam with distilled water, and then use Fengshui No. 4 or watermelon frost. At the beginning, change the dressing daily, and in the later stages, when the wound is healing, stop using Fengshui No. 4 or watermelon frost and switch to using Huangyao water. There are many other treatment methods. The specific method depends on personal preference and convenience. In addition, during the treatment process, it is best not to feed the snake. However, if the snake has not eaten for a long time and is weak, it can be fed with milk mice. However, be cautious when force-feeding.

(3) Pneumonia

Clinical conditions: Pneumonia can be considered one of the most deadly killers of pythons. Pneumonia is mainly caused by sudden climate changes and the lack of timely heating facilities. Factors such as high humidity, murky air, soaking in cold water, and hot and stuffy nesting areas in summer can all trigger pneumonia. Therefore, it is important to avoid these factors. The clinical conditions of pneumonia are troublesome. The snake may have bubbles coming out of its nose, often keeps its mouth open, and has a normal color and no visible injuries when its mouth is opened. It doesn't like to stay in its own nest, moves slowly, drinks a large amount of water, holds its head at a 45-degree angle when breathing, and makes a rattling sound while breathing. It ultimately dies from respiratory failure.

Treatment methods: Because pneumonia is infectious, isolation treatment is necessary upon detection. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria such as Streptococcus and Staphylococcus invading the snake's respiratory tract, reproducing toxins, and infecting the lungs. The treatment of pneumonia can be divided into oral and subcutaneous injection medication. There are many medications available for treating pneumonia. The following are a few commonly used medications for reference: penicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, tetracycline, erythromycin, oxytetracycline, and compound Huanglian extract.

Oral medication is a relatively safe treatment method, but the treatment effect is not as fast as injection. Commonly used oral medications include cephalosporin, tetracycline, erythromycin, and oxytetracycline. If in granular form, the medication can be diluted with water in a syringe and administered orally. The dosage is still 1/4 to 1/5 of the human dose, which means the medication can be divided into 4 doses by adding water, with one dose in the morning and one dose in the evening.

Subcutaneous injection is the fastest and most effective treatment method. Since pneumonia is generally caused by gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria, the medication can be penicillin or streptomycin. Oxytetracycline or compound Huanglian extract and cephalosporin injections can also be used. The recommended injection dose is 100,000 to 200,000 units. The dosage of other medications is also 1/4 to 1/5 of the human dose. If the condition is severe, the initial dosage can be increased based on the original dosage. The injection can be administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly. For subcutaneous injection, inject the medication by inserting the needle diagonally between the scales when the pet has a balanced body. For intramuscular injection, choose a thick muscle area of the pet and insert the needle diagonally along the side of the spinal column. Note that whether it is subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, the medication should not be pushed in all at once. It should be injected in multiple locations, approximately every 25 square centimeters per injection. The frequency of intramuscular injections is twice a day.

Water Anaconda, also known as Water Python, mainly preys on turtles, birds, mammals, and small reptiles (such as small Caymans - South American alligators). It captures its prey by wrapping its body around it, causing it to suffocate, or by submerging the prey in water to drown it.

Water Anacondas are amphibious creatures that live in rivers. They can stay submerged in water for a long time or just expose a small part of their head above the water. They mainly prey on terrestrial animals such as mammals and birds, and in some places, they also swallow short-nosed crocodiles. They are viviparous. There was once a water anaconda that swallowed an adult injured American alligator. Although its size was too big and it burst its belly, the water anaconda still swallowed it whole.