Boa constrictors do not kill their victim by suffocation, but by quickly stopping blood flow.
When attacking, boas apply several loops of their body against the prey’s chest. This not only allows them to compress the vital organs directly, but may also enable them to monitor the victim’s heartbeat according to the researchers.
Researchers inserted ECG electrodes and blood pressure catheters into 11 anesthetized rats before offering them to a boa constrictor. Within six seconds of being constricted, their peripheral arterial blood pressure dropped while their central venous pressure increased significantly. Ten of 11 had evidence of cardiac electrical dysfunction.
Original research paper published in The Journal of Experimental Biology on July 22, 2015.
Names and affiliations of selected authors
Scott M. Boback, Dickinson College, Department of Biology, Carlisle, USA
