Anaconda : the secret life of the world's largest snake

Anaconda tells the unexpected story of the world's largest snake. Written by Jesús Rivas, the undisputed expert on the biology of anacondas, this is the first authoritative book on the biology of the green anaconda. In this book, Rivas describes his experiences over a quarter of a century, exploring the secret life of these fantastic snakes, including: their diet, movement patterns, life and tribulations, survival, behavior, and fascinating reproductive life. More than just presenting facts about anacondas, Rivas tells his story about studying them in the field. Anaconda presents a comprehensive treatment of the natural history of the elusive green anacondas. Drawing on twenty-five years of research on this reptile in the wild and in captivity, Rivas delves into the biology, behavior, demography, reproductive habits, and diet of the anaconda, as well as issues relating to its conservation. Rivas uses an ecological and evolutionary framework to present his research and supplements hard data with descriptions of his research methods, including how he tracked down the anaconda for observation and study in wild. The resulting book is a complete and engaging examination of the world's largest snake. The rich photographs provided, paired with Rivas' storytelling, makes this the perfect book for anyone looking to learn (or even learn more!) about this mysterious snake. "El primer horrible serpentón que se nos pone a la vista, por hallarse con frecuencia en aquellos países, es el buío, a quien llaman los indios jiraras aviofá, y otras naciones y los indios de Quito le llaman madre del agua, porque de ordinario vive en ella. Es disforme en el cuerpo, del tamaño de una viga de pino con corteza y todo; su largo suele llegar a ocho varas; su grueso es correspondiente a la longitud; su modo de andar poco más perceptible que el puntero de los minutos de la muestra de un reloj. Dudo mucho que cuando anda en tierra haga en todo el día media legua de jornada; en las lagunas y los ríos, donde de ordinario vive, no sé a que paso nada; sólo el verle da notable espanto; y aun da consuelo saber cuán de plomo son sus movimientos. Con todo, el que sabe el alcance largo del pestilente vaho de su boca pone en la fuga su mayor seguridad." "The first horrible large serpent that we find, because it is common in those countries, is the buío, to whom the Jiraras Indians and other nations called aviofá, and the Indians from Quito called mother of the water, because ordinarily lives in it. It is deformed in the body, the size of a viga of pine including bark and all, its length often reaches eight yards; its girth is correspondent with the length, its way of walking is a bit more noticeable than the minute hand of a clock. I very much doubt that when it walks on land it will make in a whole day more than half a league of travel; in the lagoons and rivers where it lives, I do not know at what pace it swims; the very sight of it gives noticeable fright; and it is even comforting to know how sluggish its movement are. Even so, he who knows of the reach of the fetid whiff of its mouth places in flight his greatest safety " Excerpt from El Orinoco Ilustrado y Defendido ""-- Provided by publisher Anaconda tells the unexpected story of the world's largest snake. Written by Jesus Rivas, the undisputed expert on the biology of anacondas, this is the first authoritative book on the biology of the green anaconda. In this book, Rivas describes his experiences over a quarter of a century, exploring the secret life of these fantastic snakes, including: their diet, movement patterns, life and tribulations, survival, behavior, and fascinating reproductive life. More than just presenting facts about anacondas, Rivas tells his story about studying them inthe field. Anaconda presents a comprehensive treatment of the natural history of the elusive green anacondas. Drawing on twenty-five years of research on this reptile in the wild and in captivity, Rivas delves into the biology, behavior, demography, reproductive habits, and diet of the anaconda, as well as issues relating to its conservation. Rivas uses an ecological and evolutionary framework to present his research and supplements hard data with descriptions of his research methods, including how he tracked down the anaconda for observation and study in wild. The resulting book is a complete and engaging examination of the world's largest snake.The rich photographs provided, paired with Rivas' storytelling, makes this the perfect book for anyone looking to learn (or even learn more!) about this mysterious snake **__Anaconda__** Written by Jesús Rivas, the undisputed expert on the biology of anacondas, this is the first authoritative book on the biology of the green anaconda. In this book, Rivas describes his experiences over a quarter of a century, exploring the secret life of these fantastic snakes, including: their diet, movement patterns, life and tribulations, survival, behavior, and fascinating reproductive life. More than just presenting facts about anacondas, Rivas tells his story about studying them in the field. presents a comprehensive treatment of the natural history of the elusive green anacondas. Drawing on twenty-five years of research on this reptile in the wild and in captivity, Rivas delves into the biology, behavior, demography, reproductive habits, and diet of the anaconda, as well as issues relating to its conservation. Rivas uses an ecological and evolutionary framework to present his research and supplements hard data with descriptions of his research methods, including how he tracked down the anaconda for observation and study in wild. The resulting book is a complete and engaging examination of the world's largest snake. The rich photographs provided, paired with Rivas' storytelling, makes this the perfect book for anyone looking to learn (or even learn more!) about this mysterious snake. Cover Anaconda Copyright Dedication Contents Foreword Acknowledgments 1 Science, Love, and Anaconda Research 2 The Anaconda Challenge: Learning How to Learn 3 What Is a Good Real Estate for an Anaconda? 4 Anacondas’ Tales: Sickness and Health, Birth and Death in the Life of a Giant Snake 5 How Much Is Supper? Predator Diet and Prey Retaliation 6 The Largess of Motherhood: Fecundity and Female Reproductive Strategy 7 How Big Can a Giant Be? 8 “Hey, It’s Me, It’s Me!” Courtship and Confusion in the Male Reproductive Strategy 9 The Origin of the Mystery: Adapting to Life in a Big Dam 10 Conservation of Anacondas and Beyond: The Interface of Biology, Politics, and Economics 11 Epilogue: A Different Approach Literature Cited Index