How do anaconda snakes reproduce sexually? – Explained!

An important characteristic of a living organism is that it reproduces. She gives birth to young people like herself. Because of this, they are protected from extinction and reproduce from one era to the next.

Most believe that since an anaconda is a reptile, it lays eggs. That’s all. But that is not the case with anacondas. Unlike most egg-laying reptiles, an anaconda is a viviparous reptile. Gives birth to live young. It reproduces a lot and at one time can give birth to two to three dozen young or even more at a time.

Like all snakes, anacondas reproduce sexually. The courtship between the male and the female anaconda lasts for more than two months, which usually begins during the months of April and May. After courtship is complete, fertilization of the eggs occurs within the body of the female anaconda.

Courtship and mating of anacondas occurs in the water. To attract males, the female either leaves a pheromone trail or releases some sort of stimulant into the air. In this way the female attracts the males to her. During the reproduction process, twelve males are grouped together with one female in a kind of sphere, known as a brood ball.

When viewed from afar, the brood ball moves all the time like a huge leather ball being pushed and pumped. Actually what happens is that each male fights with the other males to mate with the female. This slow-motion fight between the males can last from two to four weeks. This depends on the female, as she is the largest and strongest of all the anacondas in that breeding group.

To wake up and mate with the female, the males use their spurs. During mating, they aggressively press their cloacal parts against the female’s body. Meanwhile, they continually make use of their spurs to scratch the female. The climax of their copulation occurs when the female lifts the cloacal part of her, allowing the cloacas of the two to move together. After mating, the female becomes pregnant for 6 months.

After 6 months, the female gives birth to live anacondas. The female loses almost half of her weight after pregnancy. Newly hatched anacondas are called neonates. At birth they measure 70-80 cm but grow rapidly. They reach sexual maturity in the first few years, after which their growth slows.

Reality being, this fascinating reptile can now be seen in zoos and even animal centers in some parts of our world. For some countries it’s just another exotic pet if you look at a lot of the pictures online. Even clueless children in some countries play with anacondas so young in South America.

However, let me remind you that there is a big difference between Hollywood snakes through the beautiful Hollywood body shot by Jennifer Lopez and the realistic views of an anaconda snake in a close encounter, right? Be sure to keep doing your due diligence on such a wonderful creature, you might just love what you see on popular online websites.