Reptile & Amphibian Forums

does anyone have a green anaconda ? i was wondering what there disposition was like and if they make good captives? i was thinking of purchasing one as my new snake

Well the question for you would be.....How long have you kept snakes? What kind of snakes? And do you have enough room to house a HUGE snake?

Anacondas are awesome creatures that will get huge. There disposition is generally not very nice either. Having personal experiences with them, I would not list them as a beginner snake. Some Anaconda keepers have tamed down their animals but be prepared to get tagged by them, they tend to be sneaky about it. Not giving you a warning when they will strike.They require a large water dish as that is where they spend alot of their time.

I think they are awesome creatures but you had better make sure that you can handle an animal that gets huge and requires a lot of special attention and space.

Hope this helps.

Green anacondas can definitely be aggressive, but this generalization has come about because the vast majority of greens for sale are wild caught animals of obviously unknown genetic background. Having worked with at least 50 different individuals in captivity, I believe an aggressive green cannot be "tamed". If they are calm at birth or become more tractable as they acclimate, it is because they are genetically predisposed to be such. There are a few lines available now with young produced from genetically calmer parents that have proven to make excellent captives that rarely, if ever, show aggression. Jud and I have a fair size group of them now representing three different bloodlines that can all be handled without the fear of being bitten. They are as calm as some of the more docile burmese. However, as with any large constrictor, regardless of species, you should always use common sense. When raised from captive born neonates, they can be housed in a setup like any retic or burmese. The only time I provide additional humidity by misting is right before a shed. A small water bowl is sufficient and when raised from birth in captivity, they do not require large pools to be successfully kept or bred in captivity. We have produced 2 litters in the past and currently have another gravid female all without the use of large pools. As far as size, if this is a concern, males are a better choice as 95 percent of adult male greens will stay in the 9 to 11 feet range and rarely get over 50 pounds. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about green anacondas in captivity and I hope I was able to clarify a few of them for you. Thanks,

Kelly