Giant Anaconda

Fawcett shoots a Giant Anaconda.

There are reports of anacondas 50-100 feet long. These reports however remain unverified. Lutenant percy Fawcett's encounter in 1906 is the most common mentioned reportedly encountering a anaconda 62 feet long. Major Fawcett with his native crew drifted along the Rio Negro when he spotted a great triangular serpentine head appearing at the bow of the boat. Fawcett opened fire, hitting the creature in the spine. In its dying throes the snake thrashed water all around the boat. The diameter of the snake's body was relatively small, only twelve inches. Nevertheless, Fawcett had no way to carry the specimen back from the interior.

Spanish explorers also mention reports of snakes 80 feet devouring animals as large as oxen and horses. The largest anacondas reported were a 95 foot 2 ton specimen reportedly shot in British Columbia and a report of a snake killed in Fort Tabatinga that was reporedly 110 to 150 feet long. Another giant reported could have been heviest was reportedly 131 feet long and weighed 5 tons.There are even historical reports of anacondas big enough to demolish small houses and villages. Today there is still debate over how large the largest anaconda in the Amazon would be and based on the reports and unverified measurements 37 feet seems too be the largest theoretically possible size although the largest confirmed anaconda was 25 feet and weighed 550 pounds. There may be larger ones.