A Burmese python devouring a deer whole – this is what scientists from south Florida came across. To swallow its prey, the female reptile opened its jaws to almost its maximum width. Burmese pythons are considered an invasive species in Florida, having a negative impact on local wildlife.
The discovery occurred in December 2022, but was made public only last week. Biologists from the Southern Florida Conservancy conducted research on invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in the Everglades region of southern Florida. They noticed one individual there, an adult female, having a rather peculiar meal.
Huge jaw opening
The snake hunted a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), also called the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized mammal from the deer family inhabiting a large part of the Americas. The predator was 4.5 meters long and weighed 52 kilograms. As it turned out, the victim was not much lighter and weighed 35 kg. Snakes cannot grind food with their teeth, so the female had one option – to swallow the prey whole.
In a case report published in the journal Reptiles & Amphibians, scientists explained that Burmese pythons can open their jaws to a maximum width of 26 centimeters. This value was measured in several individuals, including a female that surprised researchers with an unusual meal.
– Watching an invasive apex predator swallow a whole deer before your eyes is an unforgettable sight. The impact of the Burmese python on our local wildlife is undeniable, explained Ian Bartoszek from the Conservancy of Southern Florida, co-author of the study.
A highly invasive species
The sight of a python devouring a mule deer was unusual because these snakes usually feed on slightly smaller game: rabbits, foxes, opossums, raccoons, wildcats and various species of birds. However, they are also familiar with larger meals – large individuals can swallow young alligators whole. Their huge appetite, combined with their rapid reproduction rate and lack of natural predators, pose a significant threat to Florida's native species.
“Knowing how much prey predators can consume allows us to better predict their impact on the environment,” the researchers said.
Pythons can handle large prey without major problems thanks to their anatomy. The lower jaw bones are not fused at the front and can extend widely, and the flexible skin constitutes more than half the circumference of the maximum mouth opening.
Southern Florida Conservancy, Live Science
Main photo source: Conservancy of Southwest Florida