One Snake or Two?: teacher key

Green Anacondas, grade 11 edition, written for 11th grade. In 2024 researchers reported that green anacondas are two species. The evidence, the debate over size and the open questions show how scientists study a hard-to-find snake.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. How many species did the 2024 study say green anacondas are?
   • Two (answer)
   • One
   • Four
2. What was the new species named?
   • Eunectes murinus
   • Eunectes akayima (answer)
   • Boa constrictor
3. What did Rivas use anaconda data to estimate about Titanoboa?
   • That it lived in Antarctica
   • That it was venomous
   • That it started breeding at 5 meters long (answer)
4. Why might the two green species be hard to tell apart?
   • They look almost identical (answer)
   • They live in different oceans
   • They are different colors
5. What does polyandry mean?
   • One male mates with many females
   • Many males mate with one female (answer)
   • Males live alone

Words

• polyandry: many mates
• parthenogenesis: eggs growing alone
• Titanoboa: giant fossil snake
• ambush: a hidden wait