The world’s largest snake, a newly discovered species of giant anaconda named Ana Julia, was found dead in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest just weeks after its discovery by a team of scientists filming for National Geographic’s series “Pole to Pole with Will Smith.”
Ana Julia, measuring 26 feet in length and weighing around 440 pounds, was located in the Formoso River in southern Brazil’s Mato Grosso do Sul State.
While there were rumors of the snake being shot, the cause of death remains under investigation.
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Professor Freek Vonk, who encountered Ana Julia, expressed sorrow over her demise, emphasizing her importance to biodiversity.
The discovery sheds light on a previously unknown species of anaconda that diverged from the southern green anaconda around 10 million years ago.
