Abraham Lincoln-THE 16th PRESIDENT OF AMERICA

Honourable president Abraham Lincoln





                                                                                           



1637 - Samuel Lincoln from Hingham, England settles in Hingham, Massachusetts.


THOMAS LINCOLN

1778 - Thomas Lincoln (Abraham's father), descendant of Samuel, is born in Virginia.

1782 - Thomas and family move to Kentucky.

1786 - Thomas' father is killed by Native Americans.


NANCY LINCOLN (MOTHER)

1806 - Thomas marries Nancy Hanks. A daughter, Sarah is born eight months later.

1808 - Thomas buys a farm called Sinking Spring near Hodgenville, Kentucky.

Feb. 12, 1809 - Abraham Lincoln is born in a one room log cabin on Nolin Creek in Kentucky.


BIRTH PLACE

1811 - In Spring, the Lincoln family moves to a 230 acre farm on Knob Creek ten miles from Sinking Spring.

1812 - A brother, Thomas, is born but dies in infancy.

1815 - Young Abraham attends a log school house.

1816 - Briefly attends school. In December, the Lincoln family crosses the Ohio River and settles in the backwoods of Indiana.

1817 - In February, Abraham, age 7, shoots a wild turkey but suffers great remorse and never hunts game again.

1818 - Young Abraham is kicked in the head by a horse and for a brief time is thought to be dead. Oct. 5, Nancy Hanks Lincoln (his mother) dies of "milk sickness."


SARAH

1819 - On Dec. 2, Abraham's father, Thomas, marries a widow, Sarah Bush Johnston, and becomes stepfather to her three children. Abraham develops much affection for his stepmother.

1820 - Briefly attends school.

1822 - Attends school for a few months.

1824 - Does plowing and planting and work for hire for neighbors. Attends school in the fall and winter. Borrows books and reads whenever possible.

1828 - On Jan. 20, his married sister Sarah dies while giving birth. In April, Abraham, now 19, and Allen Gentry take a flatboat of cargo of farm produce to New Orleans. During the trip they fight off an robbery attack by seven black men. At New Orleans Abe observes a slave auction.

1830 - In March, Abe and his family begin a 200 mile journey to move to Illinois where they settle on uncleared land along the Sangamon River, near Decatur. Abe makes his first political speech in favor of improving navigation on the Sangamon River.

1831 - Abe makes a second flatboat trip to New Orleans. His father moves again, but Abe doesn't go and instead settles in New Salem, Illinois, where he works as a clerk in the village store and sleeps in the back. Wrestles a man named Jack Armstrong to a draw. Learns basic math, reads Shakespeare and Robert Burns and participates in a local debating society.

1832 - In March, becomes a candidate for Illinois General Assembly. The Black Hawk War breaks out. In April, Abe enlists and is elected Captain of his rifle company. Re-enlists as a private after company is disbanded. He serves a total of three months but does not fight in a battle. August 6, loses the election. The village store he worked in goes out of business. Lincoln and partner, William Berry, purchase another village store in New Salem.

1833 - The store fails, leaving him badly in debt. Lincoln is appointed Postmaster of New Salem. In Autumn, Lincoln is appointed Deputy County Surveyor.


YOUNG LINCOLN

1834 - On August 4, Lincoln, age 24, is elected to the Illinois General Assembly as a member of the Whig party. Begins to study law. In December, meets Stephen A. Douglas, 21, a Democrat.

1835 - In January, former store partner William Berry dies, increasing Lincoln's debt to $1000. On August 25, Ann Rutledge, Lincoln's love interest, dies from fever at age 22.

1836 - August 1, re-elected to the Illinois Gen. Assembly and by now is a leader of the Whig party. September 9, Lincoln receives his law license. Begins courtship of Mary Owens, 28. Has an episode of severe depression in December.

1837 - Helps to get the Illinois state capital moved from Vandalia to Springfield. April 15, leaves New Salem and settles in Springfield. Becomes a law partner of John T. Stuart. In Summer, proposes marriage to Mary Owens, is turned down and the courtship ends.

1838 - Helps to successfully defend Henry Truett in a famous murder case. August 6, re-elected to the Illinois Gen. Assembly, becoming Whig floor leader.

1839 - Travels through nine counties in central and eastern Illinois as a lawyer on the 8th Judicial Circuit. December 3, admitted to practice in United States Circuit Court. Meets Mary Todd, 21, at a dance.


Mary Todd

1840 - In June, Lincoln argues his first case before the Illinois Supreme Court. August 3, re-elected to the Illinois Gen. Assembly. In Fall, becomes engaged to Mary Todd.

1841 - January 1, breaks off engagement with Mary Todd. Has episode of depression. March 1, forms new law partnership with Stephen T. Logan. In August, makes a trip by steamboat to Kentucky and sees twelve slaves chained together.

1842 - Does not seek re-election to the legislature. In Summer, resumes courtship with Mary Todd. In September, accepts a challenge to a duel by Democratic state auditor James Shields over published letters making fun of Shields. September 22, duel with swords is averted by an explanation of letters. November 4, marries Mary Todd in Springfield.

1843 - Lincoln is unsuccessful in try for the Whig nomination for U.S. Congress. August 1, first child, Robert Todd Lincoln, is born.

1844 - May, the Lincoln family moves into a house in Springfield, bought for $1500. Campaigns for Henry Clay in the presidential election. In December, dissolves law partnership with Logan, then sets up his own practice.

1846 - March 10, a son, Edward Baker Lincoln is born. May 1, nominated to be the Whig candidate for U.S. Congress.


FIRST PHOTO IN1846

August 3, elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

1847 - Moves into a boarding house in Washington, D.C. with his wife and sons. December 6, takes his seat when Thirtieth Congress convenes. December 22, presents resolutions questioning President Polk about U.S. hostilities with Mexico.

1848 - January 22, gives a speech on floor of the House against President Polk's war policy regarding Mexico. In June, attends the national Whig convention supporting General Zachary Taylor as the nominee for president. Campaigns for Taylor in Maryland and in Boston, Mass., then in Illinois.

1849 - March 7 and 8, makes an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the Illinois statute of limitations, but is unsuccessful. March 31, returns to Springfield and leaves politics to practice law. On May 22, Abraham Lincoln is granted U.S. Patent No. 6,469 (the only president ever granted a patent).

http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/patent.htm
PATENT OF LINCOLN

1850 - February 1, his son Edward dies after a two month illness. Lincoln resumes his travels in the 8th Judicial Circuit covering over 400 miles in 14 counties in Illinois. 'Honest Abe' gains a reputation as an outstanding lawyer. December 21, his third son, William Wallace Lincoln (Willie) is born.

1851 - January 17, Lincoln's father dies.

1853 - April 4, his fourth son, Thomas (Tad) is born.

1854 - Re-enters politics opposing the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Elected to Illinois legislature but declines the seat in order to try to become U.S. Senator.

1855 - Does not get chosen by the Illinois legislature to be U.S. Senator.

1856 - May 29, helps organize the new Republican party of Illinois. At the first Republican convention Lincoln gets 110 votes for the vice-presidential nomination, bringing him national attention. Campaigns in Illinois for Republican presidential candidate, John C. Frémont.

1857 - June 26, in Springfield, Lincoln speaks against the Dred Scott decision.

1858 - In May, wins acquittal in a murder trial by using an almanac regarding the height of the moon to discredit a witness. June 16, nominated to be the Republican senator from Illinois, opposing Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. Gives "House Divided" speech at the state convention in Springfield. Also engages Douglas in a series of seven debates with big audiences.

1859 - Illinois legislature chooses Douglas for the U.S. Senate over Lincoln by a vote of 54 to 46. In the Fall, Lincoln makes his last trip through the 8th Judicial Circuit. December 20, writes a short autobiography.

1860 - March 6, delivers an impassioned political speech on slavery in New Haven, Connecticut. Also in March, the 'Lincoln-Douglas Debates' published.


NOMINATION

May 18, 1860 - Nominated to be the Republican candidate for President of the United States. Opposes Northern Democrat Stephen A. Douglas and Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge. In June, writes a longer autobiography.


FIRST PHOTO AS PRESIDENT

November 6, 1860 - Abraham Lincoln is elected as 16th U.S. president and the first Republican. Receives 180 of 303 possible electoral votes and 40 percent of the popular vote.

Dec 20, 1860 - South Carolina secedes from the Union. Followed within two months by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas.

Feb 11, 1861 - Lincoln gives a brief farewell to friends and supporters at Springfield and leaves by train for Washington. Receives a warning during the trip about a possible assassination attemp


AFTER ELECTED


March 4, 1861 - Inauguration ceremonies in Washington. President Lincoln delivers his First Inaugural Address.

April 12, 1861
- At 4:30 a.m. Confederates open fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston. The Civil War begins.

 A Nation Divided - U.S. Civil War Timeline and Photos

April 15, 1861 - President Lincoln issues a Proclamation Calling Militia and Convening Congress.

April 17, 1861 - Virginia secedes from the Union. Followed within five weeks by North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas, thus forming an eleven state Confederacy.

April 19, 1861 - The president issues a Proclaimation of Blockade against Southern ports.

April 27, 1861 - The president authorizes the suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

June 3, 1861 - Political rival Stephen A. Douglas dies unexpectedly of acute rheumatism.

July 21, 1861 - The Union suffers a defeat at Bull Run in northern Virginia. Union troops fall back to Washington. The president realizes the war will be long.


George B. McClellan

July 27, 1861 - Appoints George B. McClellan as commander of the Department of the Potomac.

Aug 6, 1861 - Signs a law freeing slaves being used by the Confederates in their war effort.

Aug 12, 1861 - The president issues a Proclamation of a National Day of Fasting.

Sept 11, 1861 - Revokes Gen. John C. Frémont's unauthorized military proclamation of emancipation in Missouri.

Oct 24, 1861 - Relieves Gen. Frémont of his command and replaces him with Gen. David Hunter.

Nov 1, 1861 - Appoints McClellan as commander of the Union army after the resignation of Winfield Scott.

Jan 27, 1862 - Issues General War Order No. 1 calling for a Union advance to begin Feb 22.
http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/order-1.htm
General War Order

Feb 3, 1862 - Writes a message to McClellan on a difference of opinion regarding military plans.

Feb 20, 1862 - The president's son Willie dies at age 11. The president's wife is emotionally devastated and never fully recovers.

March 11, 1862 - President Lincoln relieves McClellan as general-in-chief and takes direct command of the Union armies.

April 6, 1862 - Confederate surprise attack on Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's troops at Shiloh on the Tennessee River results in a bitter struggle with 13,000 Union killed and wounded and 10,000 Confederates. The president is then pressured to relieve Grant but resists.

April 9, 1862 - Writes a message to McClellan urging him to attack.

April 16, 1862 - Signs an Act abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia.

May 20, 1862 - Approves the Federal Homestead Law giving 160 acres of publicly owned land to anyone who will claim and then work the property for 5 years. Thousands then cross the Mississippi to tame the 'Wild West.'

June 19, 1862 - Approves a Law prohibiting slavery in the territories.

Aug 29/30, 1862 - Union defeat at the second Battle of Bull Run in northern Virginia. The Union Army retreats to Washington. The president then relieves Union commander Gen. John Pope.

Sept 17, 1862 - General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate armies are stopped at Antietam in Maryland by McClellan and numerically superior Union forces. By nightfall, 26,000 men are dead, wounded or missing - the bloodiest day in U.S. military history.

Sept 22, 1862 - The president issues a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves.



Visiting Gen. George McClellan, Antietam, Maryland - 1862



In Gen. McClellan's tent - Oct 3, 1862





With Allan Pinkerton and Maj. Gen. McClernand - Oct 1862



Ambrose E. Burnside

Nov 5, 1862 - The president names Ambrose E. Burnside as commander of the Army of the Potomac, replacing McClellan.

Dec 13, 1862 - Army of the Potomac suffers a costly defeat at Fredericksburg in Virginia with a loss of 12,653 men. Confederate losses are 5,309.

Dec 22, 1862 - The president writes a brief message to the Army of the Potomac.

Dec 31, 1862 - The president signs a bill admitting West Virginia to the Union.

Jan 1, 1863 - President Lincoln issues the final Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in territories held by Confederates. Page one of the Document


HOOKER

Jan 25, 1863

- The president appoints Joseph (Fighting Joe) Hooker as commander of the Army of the Potomac, replacing Burnside.

Jan 26, 1863 - Writes a message to Hooker.

Jan 29, 1863 - Gen. Grant is placed in command of the Army of the West, with orders to capture Vicksburg.

Feb 25, 1863 - Signs a Bill creating a national banking system.

March 3, 1863 - Signs an Act introducing military conscription.

May 1-4, 1863 - A Union defeat at the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia. Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson is mortally wounded. Hooker retreats. Union losses are 17,000 killed, wounded and missing. The Confederates, 13, 000.


Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson

June 28, 1863 - The president appoints George G. Meade as commander of the Army of the Potomac, replacing Hooker.

July 3, 1863 - Confederate defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg.

http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/battle.htm

See photographs taken just after the Battle


The gatehouse at the entrance to Evergreen Cemetery. The cemetery was at the northern part of a series of hills and slopes extending southward from Gettysburg called Cemetery Ridge.


Meade's wrecked headquarters located at the center of Cemetery Ridge, showing damage from the Rebel cannon barrage that preceded Pickett's charge.


Near McPherson's Woods, dead Union solders. Retreating Rebels sometimes took needed gear from fallen Federals, including their shoes. The first skirmish leading to the Battle of Gettysburg began when Rebels searching for shoes encountered Union cavalry.

July 4, 1863 - Vicksburg, the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi, is captured by the Gen. Grant and the Army of the West.



Open field surgery as an amputation is performed at a Union hospital tent.



Wide view of the dedication ceremony, November 19, 1863, four months after the battle making the battlefield a National Cemetery. President Lincoln spoke for just two minutes delivering the Gettysburg Address

July 13, 1863 - Writes a message to Grant.

July 14, 1863 - Writes an undelivered letter to Meade complaining about his failure to capture Lee.

July 30, 1863 - Issues an Order of Retaliation.

Aug 8, 1863 - Writes a letter to his wife regarding Tad's lost goat.

Aug 10, 1863 - The president meets with abolitionist Frederick Douglass who pushes for full equality for Union 'Negro troops.'

Sept 19/20, 1863 - Union defeat at Chickamauga in Georgia leaves Chattanooga in Tennessee under Confederate siege. The president appoints Gen. Grant to command all operations in the western theater.

Oct 3, 1863 - Issues a Proclamation of Thanksgiving.

Nov 19, 1863 - President Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address at a ceremony dedicating the Battlefield as a national cemetery.


Lincoln among the crowd at Gettysburg - Nov 19, 1863


OWN HAND WRITING ADDRESSING LETTER

Dec 8, 1863 - The president issues a Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction for restoration of the Union.


A Brady portrait - Jan, 1864



Feb, 1864 - Portrait used as basis for the Five Dollar Bill


The President and son Thomas (Tad) - Feb, 1864

March 12, 1864 - President Lincoln appoints Grant as general-in-chief of all the Federal armies. William T. Sherman succeeds Grant as commander in the West.

June 3, 1864 - A costly mistake by Grant results in 7,000 Union casualties in twenty minutes during an offensive against entrenched Rebels at Cold Harbor, Virginia.

June 8, 1864 - Abraham Lincoln is nominated for president by a coalition of Republicans and War Democrats.

July 18, 1864 - Issues a call for 500,000 Volunteers for military service.

Aug 31, 1864 - Makes a speech to 148th Ohio Regiment.



Sherman's

Sept 2, 1864 - Atlanta is captured by Sherman's army. Later, the president on advice from Grant approves Sherman's march to the sea.



Gen. Philip H. Sheridan

Oct 19, 1864 - A decisive Union victory by Gen. Philip H. Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley.

Nov 8, 1864 - Abraham Lincoln is re-elected president, defeating Democrat George B. McClellan. Lincoln gets 212 of 233 electoral votes and 55 percent of the popular vote.

Dec 20, 1864 - Sherman reaches Savannah in Georgia leaving behind a path of destruction 60 miles wide all the way from Atlanta.

March 4, 1865 - Inauguration ceremonies in Washington. President Lincoln delivers his second Inaugural Address.



Lincoln speaking at his second inauguration - March 4, 1865

March 17, 1865 - A kidnap plot by John Wilkes Booth fails when Lincoln fails to arrive as expected at the Soldiers' Home.


Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee

April 9, 1865 - Gen. Robert E. Lee surrenders his Confederate army to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia.

April 10, 1865 - Celebrations break out in Washington.



The President's son Tad poses - April 10, 1865



Taken by Gardner - The last portrait - April 10, 1865


April 11, 1865 - President Lincoln makes his last public speech, which focuses on the problems of reconstruction. The United States flag 'Stars and Stripes' is raised over Fort Sumter.
http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/reconst.htm
LAST SPEECH


April 14, 1865 - Lincoln and his wife Mary see the play "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater.


Ford's Theater.


THE MURDERER-John Wilkes Booth

About 10:13 p.m., during the third act of the play, John Wilkes Booth shoots the president in the head.


PISTOL USED BY BOOTH

Doctors attend to the president in the theater then move him to a house across the street. He never regains consciousness.


HOUSE LINCOLN DIED


DEATH BED
April 15, 1865 - President Abraham Lincoln dies at 7:22 in the morning.



The president's box at Ford's Theater - 1865



Funeral Procession on Pennsylvania Ave. - April 19, 1865

April 26, 1865 - John Wilkes Booth is shot and killed in a tobacco barn in Virginia.

May 4, 1865 - Abraham Lincoln is laid to rest in Oak Ridge Cemetery, outside Springfield, Illinois.


A victory parade is held in Washington along Pennsylvania Ave. to help boost the Nation's morale - May 23-24, 1865.

Dec 6, 1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, is finally ratified. Slavery is abolished.


PRESIDENT LINCOLNS GRAVE


ABRAHAM LINCOLN QUOTES

http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln78.html

http://
www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Abraham_Lincoln/

Mary Todd Lincolns CONDITION AFTER LINCOLNS DEATH
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/ml16.html

DREAM OF DEATH
http://www.click2history.com/stories/abraham_lincoln/abraham_lincoln_ch4.htm

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln_Presidential_Library_and_Museum

Sexuality of Abraham Lincoln
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexuality_of_Abraham_Lincoln

List of assassinated American politicians

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assassinated_American_politicians

COMPLEATE HISTORY
http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln80.html

WHITE HOUSE VIRTUAL TOURS
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/whtour/360index.html



Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

JOKES ARE JOKES, TAKE THEM AS JOKES

               ARTIFITIAL INSEMNATION

A man buys several sheep, hoping to breed them for wool. After several weeks, he notices that none of the sheep are getting pregnant, and calls a veterinarian for help. The vet tells him that he should try artificial insemination.

The guy doesn't have the slightest idea what this means but, not wanting to display his ignorance, only asks the vet how he will know when the sheep are pregnant. The vet tells him that they will stop standing around and will instead lay down and wallow in the grass when they are pregnant.

The man hangs up and gives it some thought. He comes to the conclusion that artificial insemination means HE has to impregnate the sheep. So, he loads the sheep into his truck, drives them out into the woods, has sex with them all, brings them back and goes to bed.

Next morning, he wakes and looks out at the sheep. Seeing that they are all still standing around, he concludes that the first try didn't take, and loads them in the truck again.

He drives them out to the woods, bangs each sheep twice for good measure, brings them back and goes to bed. The next morning he wakes to find the sheep still just standing around.

One more try, he tells himself, and proceeds to load them up and drive them out to the woods. He spends all day shagging the sheep and, upon returning home, falls listlessly into bed.

The next morning, he cannot even raise himself from the bed to look at the sheep. He asks his wife to look out and tell him if the sheep are laying in the grass.

"No," she says, "they're all in the truck and one of them is honking the horn."


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
                  A DIRTY FORK

A blind man walks into a restaurant and sits down. The waiter, who is
also the owner, walks up to the blind man and hands him a menu.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I am blind and can't read the menu. Just bring me a
dirty fork from a previous customer. I'll smell it and order from
there."

A little confused, the owner walks over to the dirty dish pile and picks
up a greasy fork. He returns to the blind man's table and hands it to
him. The blind man puts the fork to his nose and takes in a deep breath.

"Ah, yes, that's what I'll have -- meatloaf and mashed potatoes."

Unbelievable, the owner thinks as he walks towards the kitchen. The cook
happens to be the owner's wife. He tells her what had just happened.

The blind man eats his meal and leaves.

Several days later, the blind man returns and the owner mistakenly
brings him a menu again.

"Sir, remember me? I'm the blind man."

"I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. I'll go get you a dirty fork."

The owner retrieves a dirty fork and brings it to the blind man.

After another deep breath, the blind man says, "That smells great. I'll
take the macaroni and cheese with broccoli."

Walking away in disbelief, the owner thinks the blind man is screwing
around with him and tells his wife that the next time the blind man
comes in he's going to test him.

The blind man eats and leaves.

He returns the following week, but this time the owner sees him coming
and runs to the kitchen.

He tells his wife, "Mary, rub this fork on your panties before I take
it to the blind man."

Mary complies and hands her husband the fork. As the blind man walks in
and sits down, the owner is ready and waiting.

"Good afternoon, sir, this time I remembered you and I already have
the fork ready for you."

The blind man puts the fork to his nose, takes a deep whiff, and says,
"Hey I didn't know that Mary worked here..."

ANACONDA-BIGGEST SNAKE ON EARTH

ANACONDA

         Eunectes murinus
The Green Anaconda, also known as the water boa. There is also the yellow Anaconda, Eunectes notaeus.


The name "Anaconda" comes from the Sri Lankan language, Sinhalese, which originally probably referred to the Reticulated python. No one is sure how this name came to represent a South American snake, unless these two snakes, Anaconda and Python, were mistaken as the same species. Both snakes are swimmers and two of the largest snakes in the world.

The Tamil word for Anaconda is "Anaikolra" which means "elephant killer". The early Spanish settlers referred to this snake as "Matatoro" or "bull killer".
Classification:
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Reptilia
Order - Squamata
Family - Boidae
Circadian Cycle - Nocturnal


Physical Characteristics
The Anaconda is considered the biggest snake in the world. These snakes may reach lengths of over 29 feet. There are many exaggerated stories about anacondas being much longer, but they cannot be confirmed.



The Anaconda is the heaviest snake, but it may or may not be the longest.The Reticulated python rivals the Anaconda for the longest snake. A 20-foot Anaconda will weigh more than a 33-foot python. The Anaconda can weigh 550 pounds or more, but will usually top out at a few hundred pounds. These snakes can measure more than 12 inches in diameter. The female typically outweighs the males.

The Green Anaconda is dark green in color with black oval patches on its back. This drab pattern blends the snake in well with the wet, dense vegetations of its habitat. The sides have similar spots with yellow centers. The Yellow Anaconda is true to its name and is mostly yellow with similar black spots. The scales of the yellow and black underside of the lower tail on these Anacondas have a particular pattern which is unique to each snake. It's a form of identification, like a human fingerprint.

Snakes have a cavity called a cloaca which is where the intestinal and genitourinary tracks empty. Anacondas have spurs on either side of the cloaca. The cloaca of the Anaconda has a gland which emits a foul-smelling musk. This brownish musk is quite poisonous to small organisms. This may prevent ticks and leeches from attaching themselves here. When Anacondas are out of the water for long periods of time they usually become infested with ticks.

The Anaconda come equipped with a large head and a thick neck. Its eyes and nostrils are positioned on the top of the head, enabling the Anaconda to breathe and to see its prey while its stocky body lays submerged under water. The extremely muscular Anaconda is a constrictor and is not poisonous; however, it still has teeth and powerful jaws that it utilizes to clench onto its prey. It grabs its victim and pulls it underwater, drowning the prey.

Range: Neotropical
The Anaconda is found in the Guianas, throughout tropical South America, east of the Andes and mainly in the Amazon and Orinoco Basins The Yellow Anaconda can be found as far south as Argentina.

Habitat
The various biomes where Anacondas are usually found are tropical rainforests, savannas, grasslands, scrub forests, and deciduous forests. The Anaconda prefers to be in the water, but they do enjoy spending some time on land in shallow caves by the water's edge, or in riverbank trees to bask in the sun.

On land they can become tick-infested and they cannot move as quickly as they do in water. In water, they can stay completely submerged for 10 minutes. They often lay submerged waiting for prey. They are agile swimmers but sometimes prefer to let the river's current carry them downstream with only their nostrils above the watery surface. Once they are satisfied with the change in scenery, they simply drift to the river's edge.

Anacondas are more often found in swamps and calmer waters than in swift-moving rivers.

Diet -- Carnivorous


They typically feed on large rodents, tapirs, capybaras, deer, peccaries, fish, turtles, birds, sheep, dogs and aquatic reptiles. They have been known to occasionally prey on jaguars and attacks on humans can be confirmed, although this is rare. Younger Anacondas feed on mice, rats, chicks, frogs and fish.



Anacondas are usually coiled up in a murky, shallow pool or at the river's edge. They wait to ambush their unsuspecting prey when they come down for a drink. Anacondas bite their prey with their sharp teeth, hold on with their powerful jaws and pull them under water. The victim may drown first or it may be squeezed to death in the Anaconda's muscular coils. Anacondas, true to the Boa family, constrict their hapless victims to death. The snake squeezes tighter each time its prey breathes out, so the prey cannot breath in again. Suffocation does not take long. Anacondas swallow their prey whole, starting with the head. This is so the legs fold up and the prey goes down smoothly. The Anaconda can swallow prey much bigger than the size of its mouth since its jaw can unhinge and the jawbones are loosely connected to the skull. while the snake eats, its muscles have wave-like contractions, crushing the prey even further and surging it downward with each bite.

The Anaconda has a very slow-acting digestive system. After a big meal the Anaconda will rest for several days while digestion occurs. Many Anacondas will not eat again for several weeks or even months, depending on the size of the last meal. One captive Anaconda is on record for fasting over two years!

Reproduction

Normally the Anaconda is a solitary creature that stays within its own hunting area. This changes with the onset of the rainy season. Courtship can last for several months with this species. During this time, the female in breeding condition gives off pheromones, a chemical scent, which is tracked by nearby males. Some scientists believe the females lay down a pheromone trial which the males follow. Others believe that her scent is an air-borne chemical emission. This latter theory is supported by the fact that the female is not very active during this time and males come to her from all directions. Males have also been observed flicking the air to pick up the chemical presence.

Courtship and copulation usually take place in the water. The male presses his body to the female and rests his head on her neck. His tongue flicks and his spurs become erect. The spurs rub against the female's vent region which encourages her to copulate. As he presses his cloacal region against hers, his spurs make a scratching sound. Copulation is complete when the female raises her cloacal region to meet the male's. The male holds her against him tightly by wrapping his tail and lower body around her.

The gestation for the Anaconda is approximately 6 months. Anacondas are viviparous, bearing live young. A typical litter may consist of 20-40 babies, but a female can birth up to 100 neonates. These babies are usually 2 feet long a birth. Many newborn Anacondas refuse food for the first few months of life. Because of their small, newborn stature, many Anaconda babies are prey for other animals.

Within hours after birth, Anaconda neonates can swim, hunt and care for themselves. Baby Anacondas grow rapidly until they reach sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 years. They do continue to grow after this time, but at a slower rate.

Life Span



Anacondas can live into their thirties.

Special Adaptations



The Anaconda has eyes high on its head so that it can stay camouflaged underwater while watching and waiting for its prey. Its nostrils are positioned there as well, so that it can breathe easily while almost completely underwater. Another form of camouflage is the Anaconda's color pattern of dull green with black spots. This blends in with the dense vegetation of its habitat and also with the murky water that Anacondas love.

At Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
If you would like to see one of the world's largest snakes, come on out to the Park! Our Anaconda measures 18 feet long! This amazing creature is housed in our Unseen New World exhibit along with some other very creepy and very crawly critters! We hope to see you soon.


Conservation
At present, all South American countries prohibit trade regarding the Anaconda. However, some of these countries will allow live export for zoos and research in a limited capacity.

The greatest threat to the Anaconda is man. Most local people kill these snakes on sight, out of the fear that they are man-eaters. In most instances, if an Anaconda senses humans in the area, it will retreat in another direction. Human death by Anaconda is quite rare. Habitat destruction is another problem that the Anaconda faces.

There is much to learn about the Anaconda. Presently, CITES, PROFAUNA and The Wildlife Conservation Society jointly are conducting the first field study of the Anaconda. Hopefully many questions will be answered by this study.

LINK
http://www.extremescience.com/BiggestSnake.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaconda