Spotlight On…
Check out this week’s featured specimen!
(Pictured below, really close up!)
Photo: N. Sincero © California Academy of Sciences
Can you guess what it is?
Here are some hints:
- This animal has stretchy ligaments on its jaw that allow it to open wide enough to swallow prey whole.
- This animal is a powerful swimmer.
Leave us a comment with your answer! Then come see us in the Classroom on Sunday, May 20th at 2:30 pm for Science Story Adventures to see if you’re right and to learn more about this animal. Science Story Adventures is our program for children ages 4 – 8 and their caregivers. In the program, we explore the natural world through stories, specimens, games and crafts.
This week’s specimen: Green anaconda, Eunectes murinus
While the anaconda may not hold the title of the worlds’ longest snake—coming second to the reticulated python—its huge girth means that it is undoubtedly the largest. During the 19th and 20th century, many accounts of giant specimens of anaconda were reported. While almost certainly exaggerations, it is possible that in remote, deep rainforest rivers, under optimum conditions of prey availability, the green anaconda may grow to record proportions. The green anaconda is well-adapted for its semi-aquatic lifestyle, with its eyes and nostrils positioned on top of the head, enabling the snake to see and breathe while the rest of the body is submerged.
For more information and photos: http://www.arkive.org/green-anaconda/eunectes-murinus/
Comment by nature — May 20, 2012 @ 1:20 pm