Tourism, spurred by a Jack Nicklaus–designed golf course (1997), is now important. The city's famed high-stacked smelter was closed in 1980 as the copper industry declined. Click the link for more information. chose this place (1883) for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company's processing operations, and in the 1890s tried unsuccessfully to make it Montana's capital. He was employed by the "silver kings," J. He went to New York City at 15 and later moved to California, where he worked as a miner. Marcus Daly Daly, Marcus,ġ841–1900, American copper magnate, b. 10,278), seat of Deer Lodge co., SW Mont. Click the link for more information.Īnaconda (ănəkŏn`də), city (1990 pop. This family, which also comprises the egg-laying pythons of the Old World, includes the largest of all snakes, as well as many smaller ones. Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia., name for live-bearing constrictor snakes of the family Boidae, found mostly in the Americas. The nearby male simply provides the opportunistic female a ready source of nutrition. While the exact reason for this is not understood, scientists cite several possibilities, including the dramatic sexual dimorphism in the species, and the possibility that a female anaconda requires additional food intake after breeding to sustain the long period of gestation.
Cannibalism among green anacondas is also known, most recorded cases involving a larger female consuming a smaller male. These photos may not be used without the express written permission of the photographer.
Green Anaconda (click on images to view larger) Photo by Monica McGarrity (UF) illustration by USGS. They employ constriction to subdue their prey. Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus) NONNATIVE. There are many local stories and legends regarding the anaconda as a man-eater, but there is very little evidence to support any such activity. Particularly large anacondas may even consume large prey such as tapir, deer, capybara and caiman, but such large meals are not regularly consumed. Primarily aquatic, they eat a wide variety of prey, almost anything they can manage to overpower, including fish, birds, a variety of mammals, and other reptiles. Should they survive, they grow rapidly until they reach sexual maturity in their first few years, after which their rate of growth continues at a slower pace. Because of their small size, they often fall prey to other animals. Neonates are around 70–80 cm long and receive no parental care. After giving birth, females may lose up to half their weight. Litters usually consists of 20–40 offspring, although as many as 100 may be produced. The species is ovoviviparous, with females giving birth to live young. Mating is followed by a gestation period that lasts approximately 6–7 months. Courtship and mating occur almost exclusively in water. However, females are physically much larger and stronger and may decide to choose from among the males. The strongest and largest male is often the victor.
The male then coils his tail, surrounding the female and they copulate. Mating approaches its climax when the stimulus of the males' spurs induce the female snake to raise her cloacal region, allowing the cloacae of the two snakes to move together. They aggressively press their cloacal regions hard against the female body while continuously scratching her with their spurs. This ball acts as a slow-motion wrestling match between the males, each one fighting for the opportunity to mate with the female.ĭuring mating, males make use of their spurs to arouse the female. The group could stay in this position from 2–4 weeks. Although it may not be necessary for there to be more than one male, this results in odd clusters, referred to as "breeding balls," in which up to 12 males wrap around the same female and attempt to copulate. In any case, many males often find the same female. Male anacondas also frequently flick their tongues to sense chemicals that signal the presence of the female. This theory is supported by the observation of females that remain motionless while many males move towards them from all directions. Another possibility is that the female releases an airborne stimulant. Typically, female snakes will lay down a trail of pheromones for the males to follow, but it is still unclear how the males of this species track a female's scent. During this time, males must find females. The Green Anaconda, also known as the Water Boa is the second largest snake in the world after the reticulated python However, the interesting part is that though it is the second largest snake, it also happens to be the most heaviest snake that has ever been recorded The largest and the heaviest green anaconda is reported to be a female weighing 97. This species is solitary until the mating season, which occurs during the rainy season, and can last for several months, usually from April to May.