Python vs Anaconda
Pythons and Anacondas are no doubt the greatest snakes in the world. Some people think that anaconda and python are one and the same. However, anacondas and pythons belong to two different families of snake.
Anacondas belong to the boa family and are found in South America and the Amazon basin. A python belongs to the family Pythonidae. It prowls the thick and dense forest of South Asia, South East Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Anaconda is the heaviest and the biggest snake in the world. On the other hand, the python is no doubt the longest snake in the world. An anaconda can weigh as much as 550 pounds or more and can grow up to 25 feet. In contrast, the python can grow as long as 33 feet or more. However, a 20-foot anaconda will outweigh a much longer python.
The anaconda is not a choosy eater. As long as the prey can be overpowered, then it is included in the anaconda menu. In fact, some anacondas can overpower a crocodile and eat it whole. The python however is a bit choosy with its choice of food. This giant snake loves to eat mammals and birds only.
Anaconda is aquatic and lives in marshes, swamps, and rivers. It can swim very well. The anaconda’s eyes are located on top of its head. This allows the snake to see preys while submerged in the water. Meanwhile, the python loves to perch on trees and stay on drier land. This snake can see in the dark. That is why it can ambush hapless mammals and birds at night.
The anaconda bites its prey and drowns the poor creature in the water. The python, on the other hand, constricts and crushes animals before eating them.
These two snakes are considered giants. But remember that anacondas are heavier and bulkier while pythons are longer and more agile.