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London: Anaconda, an innovative wave energy concept, holds the key to cheaper energy from the sea waves. Named after the snake because of its long thin tubular shape, Anaconda is closed at both ends, filled with water. It will be submerged below sea level, with one end facing the oncoming waves.

A wave hitting the end squeezes it and causes a 'bulge wave' to form inside the tube. As the bulge wave runs through the tube, the sea wave that caused it runs along outside the tube, squeezing the tube more and more, causing the bulge wave to get bigger. The bulge wave then turns a turbine fitted at the far end of the device and the power produced is fed to shore via a cable.

Because it is made of rubber, the Anaconda is much lighter than other wave energy devices (made of metal) and dispenses with the need for hydraulic rams, hinges and articulated joints. This reduces capital and maintenance costs and scope for breakdowns.

The Anaconda is, however, still in developmental stage. The concept has only been proven at the lab scale, so important questions about its potential performance still need to be answered.

University of Southampton engineers are now embarking on a programme of larger-scale lab experiments and novel mathematical studies designed to do just that.

Using tubes with diameters of 0.25 and 0.5 metres, the experiments will assess Anaconda's behaviour in regular, irregular and extreme waves.

When built, the full-scale prototype would be 200 metres long and seven metres in diameter, and deployed in depths of between 40 and 100 metres.

Initial assessments indicate that the Anaconda would be rated at a power output of 1 MW (power consumption of 2,000 houses) and might be able to generate power at a cost of 6 pence per kWh or less.

"The Anaconda could make a valuable contribution to environmental protection by encouraging the use of wave power," says John Chaplin, who is leading the project. IANS

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Anacondas in the wild spend most of their time hanging out in rivers hunting for their food. They are solitary creatures that are somewhat shy and not many of them are easily seen. They are very well camouflaged in the swamps and bogs in which they thrive.

There are some historical reports of early European explorers of the South American jungles seeing giant anacondas up to 100 feet long and some of the native peoples of the South American jungle have reported seeing anacondas up to 50 feet long. No one has caught and measured an anaconda anywhere near that size.

It is important to note that when a dead anaconda's hide or skin is laid out it can be stretched very easily, expanding to much longer lengths than the snake exhibited when alive. Reports of outsize anacondas that cannot be verified are usually due to distortions in perception, or a snake skin being disproportionately stretched and inaccurately measured. People are generally really bad at estimating length, especially for larger snakes.

Anacondas are members of the boa constrictor family of snakes. That means that they kill their prey by coiling their large, powerful bodies around their victims and squeezing until their prey suffocates or is crushed to death and dies from internal bleeding. Then the snake unhinges its jaw and swallows the victim whole. Anacondas are much more likely to eat aquatic creatures, such as fish. Occasionally they have been known to eat: caimans (a relative of the alligator), other snakes, deer, and even jaguars. Anacondas are rather slow-moving snakes, so they have to rely on stealth and the element of surprise to catch their unsuspecting prey.

Just about every species of snake on earth has teeth, but the anacondas' teeth are not used for chewing. Snakes' teeth are used for holding onto their prey, preventing them from escaping. Some snakes have venom in two specially designed, extra long teeth (called fangs) which they use to kill their prey. Anacondas have teeth, but they are not a venomous snake. They rely on their enormous size and power to subdue their victims. It is possible to be bitten by an anaconda, but the bite itself would not be fatal.

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The Anaconda is in the boa family and the largest is the Eunectes murin us. Like most snakes it has suffered greatly from much exaggeration and scary folklore. It seems that the longest specimen on record is a 9+ meter snake at a little over 37 feet in strong squeezing length. Travelers' diaries and notes often refer to 40 foot individuals and references to 140 foot monsters have actually been made, but likely never confirmed. The name seems to be derived from the South American Indian word combinations referencing elephant and killer. Probably appropriate for the largest predator on that continent! Most people have real trouble conjuring up an actual 35+ foot thick bodied snake that weighs several hundred pounds! The movie may have helped our abilities to invent and embellish here.



The anaconda is also referred to as a water boa supported by its tendency to live in or near the swamps and back river systems. This is truly a constrictor! These specimens usually utilize a swift bite to hold their prey (or victim), followed by a coiling of a loop or two around the main body. Once these loops are in position, the snake will steadily constrict with incredible strength to suffocate the captive. It is the combination of sheer strength and unrelenting power that quickly replaces any breathing room.






With each exhale of air, the lung slack is removed for any follow-up inhale! In moments, the prey is ready to consume. The larger specimens take on deer, pigs, caiman, fish, and larger prey. Of course, not all specimens are huge and each size gradient eats appropriately sized food, being able to swallow objects much larger in diameter than their own thickest section. Simply holding a victim under water until drowning occurs is another less exciting but effective technique used by the anaconda in daily living.






They actually tend to be nocturnal which adds even more to the mystique on a dark still night! Due to their sometimes unwieldy size, they appear sluggish on land or hanging in a tree but in water they are capable of surprising speed on the surface and underneath. Even with the huge size, they can stalk so stealthily that not a ripple is felt by a hapless victim until the water is churning as the killing grasp takes place! They often simply wait near the water on a tree limb and come raining down to catch animals as they come for necessary water.






The victim is seldom crushed although there is ample ability to do this. As with all snakes, the suffocated victim is swallowed whole and in one piece. Primarily the head is swallowed first as the limbs tend to fold conveniently in and smoothly move down the rippling muscles as swallowing occurs, compressing the prey with each surge forward. Very quickly, there is little outward evidence of a bump or object being present and a large proportionate meal may last for weeks. Like all snakes, this species has a rather slow digestive tract and fortunately for the predator's targets, hunting does not occur every day.



Anacondas are viviparous and thus give birth to live young. Sometimes as many as a hundred may be born but most often 20 to 30 babies around two feet in length are the result. Many fall prey to other predators in the food chain so that few will ever become the dominant top of the chain as adults.

Stories about enormous size and awesome man-eating qualities are exciting but not the usual. A skin of a freshly killed anaconda may stretch a full 30% in length, as in all snakes, while being tanned. This ability obviously lends support to the typical hunter's story of the dangers encountered! Most travelers who have witnessed an actual "top of the line" anaconda in action, though, will be joined by their friends in understandably easy exaggerations! The anaconda at full adulthood is truly a natural wonder and is easily one of the most impressive creatures alive.

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adder

The adder(Vipera berus) is the only poisonous snake native to Britain. Adders have the most highly developed poison injecting mechanism of all snakes, but they are not aggressive animals. Adders will only use their poison as a last means of defence, usually if caught or trodden on. No one has died from adder bite in Britain for over 20 years. With proper treatment, the worst effects are nausea and drowsiness, followed by severe swelling and bruising in the area of the bite. Most people who are bitten were handling the snake. Treat adders with respect and leave them alone.

Adders are relatively common in areas of rough, open countryside and are often associated with woodland edge habitats. They are less inclined to disappear into the surrounding undergrowth when disturbed and so are probably the most frequently seen of the three British snakes. The best time to see them is in early spring when they emerge from their hibernation dens. By mid April, the males have shed their dull winter skin and are ready to mate. There is a lot of frenzied activity on warm days, with males looking for females and occasionally wrestling with other males for supremacy. The 'dance of the adders' was thought to be a mating display, but it is a larger male attempting to drive off a smaller one. The snakes writhe around each other in an impressive way, often covering the ground at great speed.

Following mating, females seek out a suitable place to give birth, often travelling over 1 kilometre from the hibernation site. Births take place in late August / early September. Unlike most reptiles, adders do not lay eggs. Young snakes are born about the size and shape of an earthworm, but a perfect miniature of the adult snake.

During the autumn, adult snakes follow scent trails left by other adders to find their way back to the hibernation site, which is often used by many snakes over several years. The young adders tend to hibernate in the area where they were born. Their survival largely depends on the severity of the weather in the following winter.

Adders usually eat small rodents, such as the short-tailed vole. They will also eat lizards, frogs and newts, and have been seen taking young from the nests of ground nesting birds. When hunting, adders strike swiftly at the prey, injecting a lethal dose of poison. They then wait until the prey dies before starting the often lengthy swallowing process. Like all snakes, adders eat their prey whole, their teeth are designed to grip the prey as it is swallowed. Their jaws are linked by extensible connective tissue so each of the four main bones can move independently. This means they are able to swallow items much larger than the width of their head. The lower ends of the ribs are not joined as in most animals and can also open out considerably. The adder's digestive fluid is amazingly powerful and will digest the flesh and bones of their prey almost completely. Only the hair and teeth of rodents pass through intact.

Young adders are threatened by a variety of predators, including birds of prey such as the common buzzard and sometimes adult snakes. Others may be killed and eaten by rodents while in hibernation. Adders are protected by law against being killed or injured through human activity.