Snake, just for Mike B

Carl_Constantine · Post by **Carl_Constantine** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 8:10 am

I know how much Mike likes to photograph Snakes and such. Came across this snake picture. WARNING THIS ISN'T FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&n ... 040198.jpg

twebster · Post by **twebster** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:21 am

Unbeleiveable

PeglegOS · Post by **PeglegOS** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:29 am

Holy Moly......

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 12:44 pm

My goodness! I wish I'd been there to photograph THAT! But only from a safe distance, torpid snake or not!

Thanks for showing us that....

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 5:45 pm

Pretty cool shot, hard to tell though what it had swallowed. Although it is plain to see that it was big. Thanks for the link Carl.

Carl_Constantine · Post by **Carl_Constantine** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 6:04 pm

Actually, it was a ewe, small female lamb. What's pretty frightening is you can see the outline of the lamb's face in the snake's own face/head. *shudder*

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 6:15 pm

You know I wonder how long it will take to digest all that mutton? Lambs got to lay heavy on ones stomach.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:26 pm

Quite a long time, Ken, quite a long time.

And the snake has to do a lot to make it happen at all.

This article documents that Burmese pythons "experience a 40 percent increase in heart muscle mass within 48 hours of feeding." I have read other articles that they grow similar amounts of new intestine after the kill, in anticipation of the feast arriving down-gut some days later.

Perhaps MikeB has some handy references on this subject?

--Rik

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:28 pm

rjlittlefield wrote:Quite a long time, Ken, quite a long time.

And the snake has to do a lot to make it happen at all.

This article documents that Burmese pythons "experience a 40 percent increase in heart muscle mass within 48 hours of feeding." I have read other articles that they grow similar amounts of new intestine after the kill, in anticipation of the feast arriving down-gut some days later.

Perhaps MikeB has some handy references on this subject?

This looks like a more detailed expansion of the article Rik was quoting:

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/mido ... lation.htm

Be sure to click on the three links about metabolic rate, organ growth, etc.