anaconda

Everyday

1. An anaconda is a very large snake from South America that lives in and near rivers and swamps. tree →
2. The green anaconda is the heaviest snake in the world; it is not venomous but kills its prey by squeezing it until it cannot breathe, then swallows it whole. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons about rainforests and food chains the anaconda is a top predator of the Amazon that eats fish, birds, capybaras and even caimans. In stories and films it is a scary giant snake, though real anacondas almost never attack people. Phrases: green anaconda, giant anaconda, a constrictor snake.

Examples

• An anaconda can stay under water for a long time. tree →
• The green anaconda lives in the Amazon rainforest. tree →
• Anacondas squeeze their prey instead of biting with venom. tree →
• We saw an anaconda sleeping in the warm pool at the zoo. tree →
• An anaconda can swallow an animal bigger than its own head. tree →
• The anaconda's eyes sit high on its head so it can see above the water. tree →
• In the film the anaconda was much bigger than any real snake. tree →
• Baby anacondas are born live, not hatched from eggs outside. tree →

Note

Countable: an anaconda (use «an» because it starts with a vowel sound), two anacondas. Trap: the green anaconda is the heaviest snake, but the reticulated python can be longer. Anacondas are constrictors, not venomous snakes: they squeeze, they do not poison. Myth: films show anacondas hunting people, but this is very rare in real life.