Will Smith helps discover world’s biggest ever snake. Yes, that Will Smith
Will Smith. Is there anything he can’t do?
He saved the planet in Independence Day, and stopped a zombie apocalypse in I Am Legend. We presume, let’s see how the sequel pans out.
Now, the Oscar winner has helped discover a new species of giant anaconda in the Amazon rainforest. And not just any anaconda, one that grows to a whopping 7.5 metres long and hundreds of kilos – which earns it the crown of the biggest and heaviest snake ever found.
It is reported to be ‘as thick as a car tyre’ and with a head the size of a human’s.
Christened the northern green anaconda, and officially known as Eunectes akayima, the snake was found in the Bameno region of Baihuaeri Waorani Territory in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
The incredible discovery was made during production for a National Geographic series, Pole To Pole With Will Smith, which will air on Disney+.
Scientists on location with the crew during the Amazon stretch of the show captured and studied several of the snakes – with Smith himself reportedly happy to wade into rivers to help catch them.
Team leader Professor Bryan Fry, form the University of Queensland, said: ‘We received a rare invitation from the Waorani people to explore the region and collect samples from a population of anacondas, rumoured to be the largest in existence.
‘The indigenous hunters took us into the jungle on a 10-day expedition to search for these snakes, which they consider sacred.
‘We paddled canoes down the river system and were lucky enough to find several anacondas lurking in the shallows, lying in wait for prey.’
Professor Fry said one of the female snakes they found measured 6.3m long, but the Waorani people report finding snakes stretching up to 7.5m and 500kgs.
‘The size of these magnificent creatures was incredible,’ he added.
The northern green anaconda species diverged from the southern green anaconda almost 10 million years ago, said Professor Fry, and they differ genetically by 5.5%.
‘It’s quite significant – to put it in perspective, humans differ from chimpanzees by only about 2%,’ he said.
‘This discovery is the highlight of my career.’
Where it fits into Smith’s life achievements isn’t known, but the finding will certainly make for a stand-out moment in the series.
The show will also shine a spotlight on the threats faced by the Amazon and its peoples.
‘Our journey into the heart of the Amazon, facilitated by the invitation of Waorani Chief Penti Baihua, was a true cross-cultural endeavour,’ said Dr Fry.
‘The importance of our Waorani collaborators is recognised with them being co-authors on the paper.
‘Deforestation of the Amazon basin from agricultural expansion has resulted in an estimated 20-31% habitat loss, which may impact up to 40% of its forests by 2050.
‘Another increasing problem is habitat degradation from land fragmentation, led by industrialised agriculture and heavy metal pollution associated with spills from oil extraction activities.’
Forest fires, drought and climate change are also putting the rainforest under pressure, with a recent study suggesting the region could reach a ‘tipping point’ by 2050, after which the system could collapse.
‘It’s not only these gigantic snakes that are facing environmental threats, but almost all living things in the region,’ said Professor Fry, whose next research project will focus on heavy metal pollution in the Amazon.
‘The discovery of a new species of anaconda is exciting, but it is critical to highlight the urgent need to further research these threatened species and ecosystems.
‘Of particular urgency is research into how petrochemicals from oil spills are affecting the fertility and reproductive biology of these rare snakes and other keystone species in the Amazon.’
The study is published in the journal MDPI Diversity.
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