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Location: Ilha Marajo in the Mouth
of the Amazon is the size of Switzerland.
There are three species of anacondas, the wide-spread
common green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), which occurs throughout
the Amazonian and Orinoco river systems, the yellow anaconda (E.notaeus)
from southern Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina, and the rare
and little known de Schauensee’s anaconda from the Ilha Marajo
in the mouth of the Amazon. Mark has always wanted to visit the
huge island of Marajo, an island the size of Switzerland and the
largest island in the Amazon river mouth where the opposite banks
are 200 miles apart or the distance from London to Paris. It has
been his long term aim to capture one of these poorly documented
anacondas and compare it with a green anaconda from the same area.
How and why do they differ ? How can two species of anaconda co-exist
in the same flooded savannas and water courses ? And how big can
they grow ?
A close view of a De Schauensee's
anaconda (Eunectes deschauenseei), the head is similar to that of
the yellow anaconda (E.notaeus).
| BUFONIDAE |
TRUE TOADS |
| Bufo marinus |
Marine toad |
| HYLIDAE |
TREEFROGS |
| Hyla sp. D (Para, Brazil) |
(unidentified treefrog) |
| Hyla sp. E (Para, Brazil) |
(unidentified treefrog) |
| Hyla sp. F (Para, Brazil) |
(unidentified treefrog) |
| Osteocephalus leprieurii |
Leprieur's broad-headed treefrog |
| Osteocephalus sp. (Para, Brazil) |
(unidentified broad-headed treefrog) |
| Phyllomedusa sp. (Para, Brazil) |
(unidentified leaf frog) |
| Scinax garbei |
Eirupepe snouted treefrog |
| Scinax rubra |
Banana treefrog |
| LEPTODACTYLIDAE |
SOUTHERN FROGS |
| Adenomera andreae |
Lowland tropical bullfrog |
| Leptodactylus mystaceus |
Amazon Basin bullfrog |
| Leptodactylus ocellatus |
Criolla bullfrog |
| Leptodactylus sp. C (Para, Brazil) |
(unidentified bullfrog) |
| Leptodactylus sp. D (Para, Brazil) |
(unidentified bullfrog) |
| KINOSTERNIDAE |
MUD & MUSK TURTLES |
| Kinosternon scorpioides |
Scorpion mud turtle |
| GEKKONIDAE |
GECKOES |
| Gonatodes humeralis |
Common bent-toed gecko |
| Hemidactylus mabouia |
Cosmopolitan house gecko |
| SCINCIDAE |
SKINKS |
| Mabuya bistriata |
Two-lined mbouya |
| TEIIDAE |
MACROTEIIDS |
| Ameiva ameiva ameiva |
Common ameiva |
| Tupinambis teguxin |
Black & white tegu |
| BOIDAE |
BOAS |
| Boa constrictor constrictor |
Common boa |
| Epicrates cenchria barbouri |
Marajo rainbow boa |
| Eunectes deschauenseei |
De Schauesee's anaconda |
| Eunectes murinus |
Common green anaconda |
| COLUBRIDAE |
TYPICAL SNAKES |
| Liophis lineatus lineatus |
Jararaca listrada |
| Liophis sp. (Para, Brazil) |
(unidentifed watersnake) |
| VIPERIDAE |
VIPERS & PITVIPERS |
| Bothrops atrox |
Common lancehead |
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Location: Common green anacondas are found throughout the Amazon-Orinoco.
De Schauensee's anaconda is confined to Ilha de Marajo, Para; Amapa
and French Guiana.
O'Shea with Butantan herpetologist Alexandre Zanotti (l.), &
Brazilian fixer Fernando (r. Neon Rio) who almost stepped on the
bushmaster in Ox Killer.
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O'Shea and a team of workers from the Agrobufalo ranch (owner Marcelo
Morelli at back) relocate a 16ft green anaconda.
A close view of a Common green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), the
largest and heaviest snake in the world.
After a grapple in the mud it is bath time for both snake and snakeman.
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