Will Smith helps uncover world’s largest ever snake

Will Smith. Is there something 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 uncover a brand new species of big anaconda within the Amazon rainforest. And not simply any anaconda, one which grows to a whopping 7.5 metres lengthy and a whole bunch of kilos – which earns it the crown of the most important and heaviest snake ever discovered. 

It is reported to be ‘as thick as a car tyre’ and with a head the scale of a human’s.

Christened the northern inexperienced anaconda, and formally often known as Eunectes akayima, the snake was discovered within the Bameno area of Baihuaeri Waorani Territory within the Ecuadorian Amazon. 

The unimaginable discovery was made throughout manufacturing for a National Geographic collection, Pole To Pole With Will Smith, which is able to air on Disney+.

Scientists on location with the crew throughout the Amazon stretch of the present captured and studied a number of of the snakes – with Smith himself reportedly completely satisfied to wade into rivers to assist catch them.

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Team chief Professor Bryan Fry, type the University of Queensland, stated: ‘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 stated one of many feminine snakes they discovered measured 6.3m lengthy, however the Waorani individuals report discovering snakes stretching as much as 7.5m and 500kgs.

‘The size of these magnificent creatures was incredible,’ he added.

The northern inexperienced anaconda species diverged from the southern inexperienced anaconda almost 10 million years in the past, stated Professor Fry, they usually differ genetically by 5.5%.

‘It’s fairly important – to place it in perspective, people differ from chimpanzees by solely about 2%,’ he stated.

‘This discovery is the highlight of my career.’

Where it matches into Smith’s life achievements isn’t recognized, however the discovering will definitely make for a stand-out second within the collection.

The present may also shine a highlight on the threats confronted 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,’ stated 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 local weather change are additionally placing the rainforest underneath strain, with a recent research suggesting the area may attain a ‘tipping point’ by 2050, after which the system may collapse.

‘It’s not solely these gigantic snakes which are dealing with environmental threats, however almost all residing issues within the area,’ stated Professor Fry, whose subsequent analysis mission will give attention to heavy steel air pollution within 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 research is revealed within the journal MDPI Diversity.

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