boa constrictors do not suffocate thier prey .

i just present this ` as is ` :

it has always been assumed that constrictor snakes suffocate thier prey - causing death by the cessation of breathing and the lack of oxygen - because thats how it appeared

but amazingly - its taken till 2014 for anyone to actually measure the physiology of a snakes victim to see what did actually happen

and the result : "circulatory arrest" is the cause of death - NOT asphixia // suffocation

dead is of course still dead - but a creature that cannot breathe can still fight - a victim rendered unconcious faster [ the onset of "circulatory arrest" occurs far faster than asphixia ] is killed more efficiently - at less risk to the snake

pretty amazing stuff

general reportage

sadly - i cannot find a free link to the paper :

abstract

thought an earlier paper wherin professor Boback documents that constrictor snakes respond to the victims heartbeat when applying pressure

source

is interesting - IMHO

enjoy - science at work

a reply to: ignorant_ape

Hard to enjoy that but you're right. Loss of oxygen eventually causes a heart attack.

If the heart stops pumping blood the heart doesn't get any blood either.

If the brain stops getting oxygen from the blood it can't regulate the heart muscles to pump blood.

Either way, you're screwed.

I wonder if the same effect takes place for larger prey. I could see how it could be quite easy to cause ciculatory arrest in a rat or mouse. But in an animal with stronger skeletal system, I wonder if it's still circulatory arrest that is cause of death.

Regardless, that's still an interesting find.

a reply to: ignorant_ape


Wow...way back I the 1970's I had a Boa Constrictor as a pet. she was wonderful...

As was my habit with all animals I've ever had, I did a large amount of research on her. Back then I learned that when a constrictor does it's thing it constricts until all movement is stopped, that includes the victim's heart. Which supports what you have said...I'm not s sure about "when" science learned this, but, I don't think it was recent.