Boa Constrictors Kill by Constricting Blood Flow

This new find was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology and directly refutes that suffocation is the way that boas kill their prey. But a theory put forth by colleague Dave Hardy that has been the talk of snake enthusiasts but never proven – that the boa kills by constricting the blood flow of its prey – seemed like a more promising explanation. “We could see the arterial pressure go down, the venous pressure go up and we could see this right when the snake was doing it (squeezing)”.

The 1994 study was conducted by Dr. Hardy, a snake expert and anesthesiologist, who commented on how quickly boa snakes manage to subdue and kill other animals.

In fact, the boa’s prey can only last 60 seconds at most, a finding that lands itself to the belief that boa snakes cause heart attacks.

Boback and his colleagues say the research offers insight into the evolution of serpent hunting skills. The first step was to implant rats with electrocardiogram electrodes so that the researchers could measure the rats’ heart rates.

Real-time blood pressure and circulation data confirmed this reality.

The team gave a statement explaining that they need to use an artery as well a vein because they were interested in observing “both sides of the circulatory system”.

The researchers suspect that, without blood flow to the brain, any victim attacked in such a manner would pass out in a matter of seconds, helping to eliminate suffering on the part of the victim and, of course, making the process easier for the predator. Scientists then measured the blood pressure and heartrate of the rats as well as took blood samples.

As the snakes squeeze their victim, blood supply to the heart, brain and other vital organs is cut off. The victims become unconscious in a few seconds and die faster than if they were being suffocated, the researchers reported.

The entire technique is extremely interesting, as the snake needs to employ a specific pressure and cover specific parts of the body, so that death can come to its prey in as little time as possible.