Discovered the true deadly weapon of python South America

Scientists have discovered how the python of South America ended the prey's life, rejecting the long-standing mistake of causing their victims to suffocate.

The truth about the South American python's death weapon

For a long time, many people still believe that South American pythons and other pythons kill their prey by strangling, cutting off the victim's oxygen supply. However, US researchers discovered that, in fact, these large reptiles cut off the blood supply, quickly leading to a heart attack that caused their prey to lose their lives.

The pythons often bite, then curl 2 loops around the abdomen or chest of the prey to death.(Photo: BBC)

In tests, the team fed pythons that were anesthetized. For prey, python first bites them, and then uses the body to create at least two tight noose cuffs, forming two compression points around the chest or abdomen.

The research team monitored the blood pressure and heart rate of mice and found that, when blood circulation of these experimental organisms stopped working and the supply of oxygen was cut off, their hearts became increasingly ragged. rhythm. They found that, without blood circulating to the brain, tightly wrapped pythons may die before other key organs start to stop working.

Experts also discovered that pythons save energy by loosening tight rings when they feel the prey's heart has stopped beating.

Using the ability to squeeze, strangle as a method of killing prey gives pythons an evolutionary advantage over other reptiles, helping them attack larger prey.

Although South American pythons often eat rodents and birds, scientists also note cases of devouring even more "terrifying " animals, such as monkeys, wild boars or porcupines.

The prevailing view is that python's death weapon is the ability to strangle every researcher Frank McLees expressed skepticism in 1928 in the Bulletin of the Antivenin Institute of America magazine, but there is no definite evidence. obviously. In 1994, biologist Dave Hardy also stated that the ability to curl cannot be a mechanism to end the life of prey , but until now, the research of American scientists has just verified the hypothesis. this in the lab.