Govind Tekale
Scientists have found what might be the world’s largest snake. The Northern Green Anaconda was discovered deep in the Amazon rainforest during filming of a National Geographic series featuring actor Will Smith.
“It was the highlight of my career,” said Professor Bryan Fry from the University of Queensland, who helped find the snake. His team measured one at 20.7 feet long. But local Waorani people say they’ve seen even bigger ones – up to 24 feet long and weighing about 1,100 pounds.
This isn’t just a bigger version of snakes we already know. DNA tests show it’s a completely new species. Scientists named it Eunectes akayima, which means “The Great Snake” in a local language.
The discovery was part of a planned expedition. Researchers were in Ecuador filming for National Geographic’s “Pole to Pole with Will Smith” series when they collaborated with the Waorani people. These indigenous guides took the scientists through the jungle in canoes to find the massive snakes hiding in shallow water.
What makes this find so important? The genetic difference between this snake and its closest relative is bigger than the difference between humans and chimps. That means this snake has been evolving separately for about 10 million years without anyone knowing it existed.
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Dr. Jesus Rivas spent nearly 20 years collecting data on anacondas across nine countries before confirming this discovery. The team’s findings were published in the science journal Diversity.
This giant snake is already in danger. The Amazon faces serious threats from logging, farming expansion, and pollution from oil drilling. Chemicals from oil spills are showing up in the snakes and in fish that local people eat.
“These anacondas tell us about the health of the entire forest,” explained Dr. Sarah Corey-Rivas, who worked on the genetic testing. “When the snakes are in trouble, it means the whole ecosystem is at risk.”
The Waorani people consider these giant snakes sacred. Their knowledge was crucial to finding the anacondas in the first place, showing how important local expertise is to scientific discovery.
The Northern Green Anaconda reminds us that even today, the Amazon still holds amazing secrets. It also shows why protecting this unique forest matters – not just for giant snakes, but for all the undiscovered species that might still be hiding there.
