 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into Green anaconda. (Discuss) Proposed since August 2024. |
| Northern green anaconda | |
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| Eunectes akayima in the Venezuelan Llanos | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Boidae |
| Genus: | Eunectes |
| Species: | E. akayima
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| Binomial name | |
| Eunectes akayima Rivas et al., 2024
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The northern green anaconda (Eunectes akayima) is a disputed boa species found in northern South America and the Caribbean island of Trinidad. It is closely related to Eunectes murinus, the (southern) green anaconda, from which it was claimed to be genetically distinct in 2024. It is one of the heaviest and longest snakes in the world, with one specimen reported by a newspaper to have been 6.3 metres (21 ft) long. Like all boas, it is a non-venomous constrictor. E. akayima is estimated to have diverged from its closest relative between 5 and 20 million years ago, originally separated by the Vaupés Arch. Today, specimens of E. akayima are known from the Orinoco basin and surrounding regions, ranging from Ecuador to Trinidad. Its range is still mostly separate from that of E. murinus, although they partially overlap around French Guiana, with no clear geographical barrier. While allegedly separated through mitochondrial DNA markers, the two species are indistinguishable in morphology.
The anacondas in the region have been known for centuries as akayima by the local Carib people, and this became the formal scientific name proposed for the species. Later studies raised nomenclatural issues about the description, while also calling into question the validity of the clades recovered through mitochondrial DNA, casting doubt on the validity of E. akayima as a separate species.