Scientists stumble upon a 20.7 feet green anaconda on TV show. Could 24 foot creatures be next?

A television show led scientists to discover the largest Anaconda in the Amazon that could take the title for the world's largest snake. The snake was identified during Will Smith's TV show for National Geographic and is 20.7 feet long. Scientists think this massive new species of anaconda can change what humans know about these mammoth snakes. Professor Bryan Fry, a herpetologist from The University of Queensland, led the expedition for Pole to Pole with Will Smith. The indigenous Waorani hunters helped the team reach the anaconda. Researchers acknowledged that the discovery would not have been possible without the help of the Waorani. This species of anaconda has been named the northern green anaconda (Eunectes akayima). Anacondas are known to be large, but this snake spotted in the Amazon is a new species. Also Read: Giant python with 'human-shaped' bulge spotted floating in Thai floodwaters

The Waorani people led the team to the anaconda

Fry and the team worked with the Waorani people, who regard the anacondas as sacred. They are also well versed with the rainforest and took the team on hand-carved canoes along narrow river systems. The 10-day expedition through the Bameno region ultimately led the researchers to reach a place in the Amazon where these anacondas are known to hide. The Waorani had seen these snakes previously as well and so took the team to the exact place where they saw the anacondas residing in shallow waters, hiding from their prey. “They knew where to look. They’ve lived with these creatures for generations,” Fry said. Also Read: Burmese python swallows a whole deer shattering beliefs about its last limits

24-feet-long anacondas?

According to Fry, the Waorani people have seen several large snakes in the rainforest. This includes some that are over 7.5 meters (more than 24 feet) long. However, anacondas of this length have never been documented. The northern green anaconda is larger than the southern green anaconda and quite different. The largest snake reliably documented is a reticulated python that was 7.67 meters long. Now, with the discovery of this new anaconda species, scientists are sure that even though the 24-foot anacondas have never been seen, there is a high chance they exist and have simply never been discovered.