According to Reuters, scientists have discovered a gigantic green anaconda in Ecuador’s rainforest while researching the effect of oil spills on wildlife in the Amazon.
“What we were there to do was use the anacondas as an indicator species for what kind of damage is being done by the oil spills that are plaguing the Yasuni in Ecuador, because the oil extraction is absolutely out of control,” says Australian biology professor at University of Queensland Bryan G. Fry.
Despite that the new northern green anaconda and the green anaconda Eunectes murinus (until very recently believed to be the only species that existed) look identical, analysis showed a significant genetic difference of 5.5% (to put into perspective, humans differ from chimps by 2%) demonstrating that Eunectes akiyama split off from its closest relatives 10 million years ago.
A video shared online shows Dutch biologist Freek Vonk swimming next to the 6-meter-long reptile.
