The largest and most powerful snakes in the world

Anaconda (snake), common name for large South American snakes of the boa family. Anacondas are among the largest and most powerful snakes in the world. The common anaconda is the longest snake in the western hemisphere and the heaviest snake in the world; on average, a large adult may be 6 m (20 ft) long and weigh 107 kg (235 lb). One of the longest anacondas ever recorded reached 10 m (about 33 ft) and weighed 250 kg (about 550 lb). Anacondas kill their prey by constriction or squeezing. The common anaconda inhabits the river systems of northern and Amazonian South America east of the Andes. The yellow anaconda is much smaller, usually not exceeding 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft), and lives in the river systems of southern South America. Female anacondas give birth to living young.