This is the moment a huge anaconda that appears to have survived a machete attack gives drivers a taste of life in the slow lane as it slithers across a highway in Brazil.

The 16-ft long serpent forced motorists to halt the traffic on the AC-405 highway near Cruzeiro do Sul in the vast Amazonian region on June 15.

Many abandoned their journeys to get out of the cars and film the snake's slow progress over the tarmac towards swampy ground on the other side.

One clip shows a couple with a small baby in its mother's arms standing just feet away from the reptile.

One woman could be heard saying that the snake appeared injured, although no wounds were visible in the video.

One watcher, Cintia Maria, told local media: 'I had never seen a snake this big up close. It was scary and impressive at the same time.'

According to biologistSalatiel Clemente, who was at the scene, the snake looked like it had been slashed with a sharp object.

Salatiel said: 'It had machete cuts in the middle of its body, spaced apart.'

The reptile was later rescued by the Fire Department and taken to a wildlife centre in Cruzeiro do Sul.

The Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) arrived at the scene and took the anaconda to the base inCruzeiro do Sul.

It will later be transferred to the Centre for the Screening of WildAnimals in Rio Branco for further care.

The non-venomous anaconda is recognised as the largest snake in the world.

It kills its prey through constriction, coiling around their bodies and squeezing until they suffocate.