Posted on 09/25/2016 1:42:07 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Pythons swallow their prey whole, and take several days or even weeks to fully digest it.
Biting off more than it could chew cost a 20-foot python its life in Junagadh district. The python died yesterday after swallowing a blue bull (‘nilgai’) at Baliavad village near Gir wildlife sanctuary, a Gujarat forest department official said. Villagers found the python lying on the road, its belly distended beyond normal capacity, and apparently struggling to digest the animal it had swallowed. “Forest officials were informed and they rushed to the site to ascertain its condition,” Deputy Conservator of Forest R Senthilkumaran said today. “It succumbed to the internal injuries caused by the (swallowing of) blue bull,” he said. Pythons swallow their prey whole, and take several days or even weeks to fully digest it. They are known to prey on animals much larger in size. After eating, a python can go several weeks, if not months, without needing to feed again. Reportedly, A farmer who first noticed this, informed the authorities of the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Junagadh, through a telephonic message.
“Python roams around the wildlife sanctuary and they could rarely be seen. We got a telephonic message of a farmer that a python has swallowed a big animal. We sent a rescue team immediately and found that a python has swallowed a blue bull,” said Assistant Conservator of Forest S.D. Tilala. Watch the video here.
“It was 18-20 feet long. We have transported the animal to some other place so that it does not injure other people. We will keep it under observation. When it will digest the blue bill, we will release the python in the forest,” he added.
Okay, but do the buggers have to sting? Why can't they eat slime like respectable bugs?
I heard it taste s like chicken...
And make python poop?
Somebody make a mistake and told those bitey critters that blood is like nectar, but better.....
Crab bait?
The spread of disease to reduce numbers of species.
You know, that occurred to me right after I posted my question. Thanks!
*ping of interest*
Nature is brutal.
Sometimes, keepers feed their pet snakes prey that is too large and they die.
In that case, human nature is simply stupid.
/carefully chooses appropriately sized food
You’re welcome. As much as I despise the bugs, everything has a purpose. I was watching Planet Earth this morning, and there were sloths lumbering through the trees. I wondered about their purpose, but then the Harpy eagle feeds on them, as well as on other monkeys. So it’s interesting to think about these things. :-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.