The world’s largest snake has recently been discovered in the Amazon rainforest.
This new species of northern green anaconda (Eunectesakiyama) differs by as much as 5.5 percent from the southern green anaconda.
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The discovery could not have happened without the help of the Waorani people. The Waorani people are indigenous to the Amazonian region of Ecuador. They believe that the giant snakes that roam the forest waterways are sacred.
A giant female anaconda captured alongside Prof. Freek J. Vonk shook the internet. The snake in the video is a newly discovered nothern green anaconda. Prof. Freek J. Vonk released a statement that this is the highlight of his career.
There is a genetic difference of 5.5 percent between the northern and southern green anacondas. Although they are similar in appearance, this genetic difference is considerable.
To put this into perspective, humans differ genetically by only 2 percent from chimpanzees. The discovery of this new species of Anaconda has significant implications for the conservation of the species.
The Amazon is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. Although scientists have explored the region for centuries, there are new discoveries each year.
Its accounts for approximately a forth of the CO2 absorbed by land on Earth
. Unfortunately the Amazon is under threat from climate change and deforestation.