As we departed the Owl burrow, we saw a shiny object at the water edge some 100 yards away. few other tourists were standing next to it. when we got closer, we saw this large snake making its way out of the water and onto the dry floodplain. at that point, the owls were oblivious, and the snake drew a steady escort of human admirers as it lumbered slowly words the distant trees and the lake beyond.
From Wiki: The yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus) is a boa species endemic to southern South America. It is one of the largest snakes in the world but smaller than its close relative, the green anaconda. Like all boas and pythons, it is non-venomous and kills its prey by constriction. Adults grow to an average of 3.7 m (12 ft 1+1⁄2 in) in total length. Females are generally larger than males and have been reported up to 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in) in length. They commonly weigh 25 to 35 kg (55 to 77 lb), but specimens weighing more than 55 kg (121 lb) have been observed.
The yellow anaconda forages predominantly in shallow water in wetland habitats, like the Pantanal. Most predation occurs from June to November, when flooding has somewhat subsided and wading birds are the most common prey. Observations and analysis of gut and waste contents from regularly flooded areas in the Pantanal region of southwestern Brazil indicate that they are generalist feeders that employ both ambush predation and wide-foraging strategies.
Their prey consists nearly exclusively of aquatic or semi-aquatic species, including a wide variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and eggs. Larger specimens can prey upon larger animals, such as brocket deer, capybaras or peccaries. The prey-to-predator weight ratio is often much higher than for other types of Boidae.
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The threatened Gopher turtle is thriving in the Guana WMA. From Wiki: The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for at least 360 other animal species. G. polyphemus is threatened by predation and habitat destruction.
The gopher tortoise is a representative of the genus Gopherus, which contains the only tortoises native to North America. The gopher tortoise is the state reptile of Georgia and the state tortoise of Florida.
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