 Like all boas and pythons, it is non-venomous and kills its prey by constriction.No subspecies are currently recognized.The genus name "Eunectes" derives from Greek and means "good swimmer"; the Neo-Latin specific name "notaeus" derives from Greek νωταίος/nōtaios (poetic form of Greek νωτιαίος/nōtiaios), here meaning “dorsal”.