Tag: prey

The Myth of Python Snakes Strangling Prey

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It is a myth that pythons suffocate their prey into submission and eventual death as they are technically causing obstructive shock of the circulatory system. This is performed by creating force pressure capable of exceeding the ability of the heart to compress, with this pressure focused tightly within the center of the heart, causing death as a direct result. As soon as pressure is elevated above what the heart utilizes to pump and eject blood throughout the circulatory system, the cardiac system becomes unable to eject blood causing prey to pass out within 10 – 20 seconds, similar in structure to how a headlock cuts off oxygen from the brain and causes a human opponent to pass out. As a python coils, it begins contracting its muscles to generate this tremendous crush pressure, referred to as “circumferential pressure”. To provide frame of reference, circumferential pressure is the type of pressure applied when a saturated cloth is rung out to expel all liquid. The blood pressure of prey typically doubles in stature after being constricted (e.g. moving from 120/80 to 250/160 to 300/200 over the course of 12.5 minutes), enough to cause syncope, a cerebral vascular accident, and death in most mammals. Sphygmomanometers typically exert 140 – 160 millimeters of mercury during a routine blood pressure examination, enough to cause blood perfusion to be cut off during measurement and pain to develop if the duration of the examination is extended for any reason. Python snakes are capable of applying 2x – 3x this rate of pressure, directly upon the neck or thorax of their prey. It is currently unknown if this ability can be increased when required (e.g. emergency situation of an animal escaping etc.)

The Social Conventions of Hyenas

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Hyenas have a fairly complicated social structure in that they make kills as a team, consume their prey in groups, and then regurgitate that food when back at their base camp, not only for the pups who are waiting for them but also for those who stay back to act as care takers for the youngest members of the pack. Hyenas appear to truly understand the all for one and one for all mentality that only a few primates comprehend and exercise

Herbivore vs Carnivore Vision

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Animals which have eyes placed upon the sides of their heads (e.g. squirrels, zebras, frogs etc.) are typically herbivores and prey for carnivores. Herbivores need to have their field of vision constantly focused upon what’s going on around them. Animals which have eyes on the front of their heads (e.g. owls, tigers, human beings etc.) are usually carnivores. Carnivores are predators and because of this they need to constantly be focused upon what is in front of them for activities like chasing down prey in an attempt to capture and eventually kill what they catch. Human beings can demonstrate this difference for themselves by placing one’s hands in front of their eyes as they would binoculars, then crossing their wrists and cupping their hands so that they see only from the sides of their face. This demonstrates the different abilities predator and prey have in respect to what is in focus within a particular classifications field of vision. Panoramic vantage points which herbivore prey have allow for more information to be taken in at once, but binocular vantage points which carnivorous predators have allow for depth perception which most herbivores do not have, and even when they do have it, it’s accuracy is highly limited

The Hunting Technique of Boa Constrictors

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Boa constrictors do not suffocate their prey to death, contrary to popular belief. Instead they squeeze their prey until the pressure within the preys circulatory system is not enough to sustain the animals functions to live causing the prey to then die

The Visual Capability of Toads

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If a toad is put into a tank with dead worms, it will starve to death because it won’t recognize the worms as food. Toads have evolved to only see horizontal lines moving as food. This theory was tested in the 1970’s, when scientists put a toad in a glass jar and had a vertical line pass by to which the toad did nothing, almost as if it has no clue of the line in front of it which looked like a worm standing straight up. Once the line was changed to become horizontal, the toad immediately tried to eat the horizontal line which mimicked a wormlike insect. Toads have a very unsophisticated visual spectrum. They basically think that if whatever they’re looking at appears to be a worm, then chances are it is and that it’s safe to ingest. This visual model is flawed because the toad is easily fooled giving it a disadvantage both in catching prey, and in becoming prey