They were filming “Pole to Pole with Will Smith” when the event happened. The crew was with Professor Bryan Fry, who teaches about venom and reptiles at the University of Queensland. He was studying how oil extraction affects ecosystems in the Amazon over time.
The group used the knowledge of local Waorani experts to get through narrow creeks and flooded forests. The conditions were awful: the water was chest-high, the mud was thick, and you couldn’t see very well. A big snake shape suddenly appeared from under the cloudy surface and right in front of the divers.
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Experts say you shouldn’t grow this plant in your garden because it draws snakes and can make your yard a summer home for them.
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People thought the anaconda was about 7.5 meters long, which is a huge size even for the Amazon.
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Green anacondas are some of the heaviest snakes on the planet. A specimen this size is a top predator in peak condition and can kill caimans, capybaras, and big wading birds.
Will Smith, who was there to host the show instead of work with animals, saw scientists carefully move around the snake. What started out as a dramatic scene on camera quickly turned into research that would have a big impact.
How male and female anacondas are not the same at all
Fry’s team was collecting information about anacondas, like body measurements, blood samples, and skin tissue for genetic testing. The goal was to find a connection between the health of snakes and the amount of pollution in rivers that were affected by oil operations nearby.
One of the most important things that were found was that the two sexes were very different in size. The results showed a more complicated picture than what is usually shown in pictures of big women.
Females usually grow to be about five meters long, but in some places, males can grow longer and bigger. This changes how they hunt and what they eat.
These differences in body shape cause clear differences in how people act:
- Big males often hunt wading birds and aquatic animals that get pollutants from the water and sediment.
- Females hunt more grazing mammals like capybaras that eat along riverbanks than males do.
- Because they need more energy, bigger snakes hunt animals that are higher up the food chain.
Anacondas are top predators, which means they are good at showing how dirty the environment is. Toxins in water, fish, birds, and mammals slowly build up in their bodies.
Anacondas’ biology was affected by pollution.
The researchers looked at tissue samples from these strong reptiles for heavy metals like lead and cadmium, which are common in oil spills, extraction, and industrial runoff.
The findings indicated that male anacondas exhibited lead and cadmium concentrations that were up to 1,000% greater than those of females inhabiting the same environments.
The main reason for this difference is diet. Wading birds get metals from contaminated fish, invertebrates, and sediment. When snakes eat these birds, the toxins get even stronger.
Too much exposure to heavy metals is linked to:
- Decreased male fertility and atypical sperm maturation
- Harm to the kidneys and liver
- Changes in hormones that affect growth and reproduction
According to Fry, hydrocarbon pollution seems to lower the fertility of male Amazonian anacondas. This is a big problem for people who are already in danger because their homes are disappearing.
Two anacondas that look alike but aren’t
Genetic testing showed something else big, in addition to pollution studies. Samples from different river systems showed that what was once thought to be one green anaconda species is actually made up of at least two different species.
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Scientists found that anacondas from Ecuador and Brazil were genetically different, even though they looked and acted the same.
The biggest Ecuadorian snakes were usually bigger than the biggest Brazilian snakes. The biggest females were about a metre longer than the biggest Brazilian females. The big snake that was filmed for the Will Smith project in Ecuador fits this pattern.
The Brazilian species lives in a smaller area. Because of oil extraction, deforestation, and shrinking wetlands, the area’s future is less certain.
Why separating species changes the order of conservation priorities
Recognising two distinct species fundamentally alters their conservation outlook. What used to be thought of as a common animal is now:
- A kind of plant from Ecuador that grows in a bigger but more stressed area
- A Brazilian species that lives in a smaller area and is more likely to be affected by oil drilling.
People often use species-level classification to figure out how to protect habitats, get money for conservation, and make plans for habitats. A newly discovered species with a small range can quickly become a top conservation priority, especially if pollution threatens its ability to reproduce.
Anacondas help keep the Amazon ecosystem healthy.
The biggest animals in the food chain are anacondas. This job gives them power, but it also makes them weak. They need a lot of food, clean water, and wetlands that are in good shape. When oil pipelines leak or drilling makes rivers dirty, the damage spreads.
The Waorani communities help Fry’s team see these changes happen right away. Rivers and streams that are dirty have fewer fish, sick animals, and ruined places to hunt. The health of the snakes, including the giant one that was filmed, shows how healthy the whole ecosystem is.
The 7.5-meter-long anaconda is more than just a cool thing to see on TV. It shows how far industrial activity can go into untouched rainforest.
If pollution keeps getting worse, these big animals might become less common. This isn’t because people hunt them, but because the ecosystems that support them start to break down.
Understanding heavy metals and bioaccumulation
This research is founded on two scientific concepts: bioaccumulation and heavy metals. Lead and cadmium are two heavy metals that are poisonous even in small amounts. They can get into the water and soil where oil is made and stick to sediment and small living things.
Bioaccumulation is the process by which toxins build up over time. Little organisms eat small amounts. Bigger animals eat a lot of them, which puts metals into their bodies. The most poisonous animals are apex predators like anacondas.
People who get their food from dirty rivers go through the same things. Long-term scientific studies are needed to find the cause because the symptoms usually come on slowly.
What this discovery means for future Amazon research
Documentary expeditions often focus on getting dramatic footage before moving on. This project taught me a new way to do things. The team got data that changes both science and conservation policy by having scientists work on a project led by a famous person.
Future missions might include long-term environmental monitoring, like regularly taking samples of water, fish, and top predators, as well as making films. People in the area could also learn how to do basic checks between visits.
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Anyone who wants to see the Amazon’s rivers should learn this lesson. The biggest snakes, caimans, and herons are the last animals to find out what happens upstream. Their health, numbers, and behaviour show that the rainforest is under a lot of stress, even before the news reports on it.
