Eunectes akiyama

Facts for Prelims

Eunectes akiyama

News: Researchers studying the genetic makeup of various types of anacondas in the Amazon rainforest have discovered that there are two genetically distinct types of green anaconda — a species previously categorized as a single animal.

About:
• The Eunectes Akiyama, also known as the Northern Green Anaconda, is a species of boa found in South
America and the Caribbean island of Trinidad.
• It is one of the heaviest and longest snakes in the world. Like all boas, it is a non-venomous constrictor.
• This species was named in 2024 after it was found to be genetically distinct from the morphologically indistinguishable Eunectes murinus. The name “akayima” comes from the local Cariban languages, with “akayi” meaning “snake” and the suffix “-ima” describing largeness in a way that elevates the term to a separate category, giving a literal meaning of The Great Snake.