Biggest snake species in the world discovered in Amazon rainforest.

Scientists have made an exciting discovery while filming the National Geographic and Disney+ docuseries “Pole to Pole,” hosted by Will Smith. During their expedition into the Amazon’s Orinoco basin, they encountered a previously unknown species of the green anaconda, which is the largest and heaviest snake species on Earth . Here are the key details:

Discovery: The new species was found in the northern region of the Amazon rainforest.

Size: One female anaconda they encountered measured an astounding 6.3 meters (20.7 feet) long. There are anecdotal reports from the Waorani people of other anacondas in the area measuring more than 7.5 meters (24.6 feet) long and weighing around 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds).

Genetic Difference: Although these green anacondas looked nearly identical to the ones found in Brazil, genetic samples confirmed that they are indeed a different species. The researchers proposed renaming this new species as Eunectes akayima.

Divergence: The northern green anaconda likely diverged from the southern green anaconda almost 10 million years ago, and the two species differ genetically by about 5.5%.

Significance: This discovery has upended scientific understanding, as the green anaconda was previously thought to be a single species.

Professor Bryan Fry, lead researcher from the University of Queensland, called this finding “the highlight of my career” . It’s fascinating how the Amazon continues to reveal its secrets!