A subfamily of crocodiles known as caimans is found throughout South and Central America, particularly in the rain forests of that continent. This little, scaly crocodile spends most of its time at night. Despite being carnivores, they do not pose a significant hazard in the waters around the Amazon. Crocodiles struggle to compete with other carnivores in the same habitat, like otters, and even end up as the preferred food of jaguars and pythons because of their small size and solitary lifestyle.
The anaconda is one of South America’s most infamous snakes. In terms of weight, they are the largest type of python in the world. Adults can weigh up to 100 kg. They are only outmatched by brocade pythons in the entire reptile family in terms of length, which can reach 5-7m.
In the waterways of the Amazon, this python is an aggressive predator. Anaconda pythons use their enormous bodies as a weapon despite not having venom like other snakes. They encircle their prey with such force that the victim dies through asphyxia, organ rupture, or internal bleeding as a result of the tight squeeze. The enormous snake will swallow its prey whole once it has passed away.
In the video, a big python catches a Caiman crocodile, wraps its body around it, and slowly squeezes the prey until it dies. But the Caiman crocodile is also not a bad hunter. It caught the head of the python in its mouth as it passed away, determined not to let go.
