Super Snakes

I had the luxury of sitting and watching one of National Geographics documentary on super snakes, in particular, the Anaconda (South America) and the Python (South-East Asia).

A few interesting facts peeking into the adaptations and capabilities of these two huge serpentine carnivores are:

1. Anaconda, being the largest serpent, can weigh more than 300 pounds growing to a length of about 30 feet.
2. Both sees a thermo-infra-red scan image of the world, putting warm-blooded animals in a contrast of red against a much cooler bluish background.
3. Both stick out their forked-tongues intermittently to pick up chemical scents in the air, smelling the odour of potential prey and thereby able to track it down.
4. The long tubular body of more than 10,000 muscles allows the giant snakes to slither in deadly silence.
5. Anacondas have their pair of eyes positioned at the upper part of the head, allowing to see while being mostly submerged in the waters
6. The jaws, are truly an amazing feat! Anacondas have 4 rows of teeth on its upper jaw! Two on the outer row, like humans, with 2 more inside, like sharks! Then the 2 rows of teeth (sharp of course) can MOVE independently of each other, mostly needed for the mouth to crawl and thereby swallow the entire length of the prey, a maneuver necessary since this serpent has no limbs to push its food down its body.
7. The lower jaw consist of 2 parts, UNCONNECTED, meaning, there is no chin. These 2 lower parts can also move independently of each other, allow the lower jaw to open up to 3 times wider.
8. Anacondas have double hinged jaws that allow an opening of almost 180 degrees.
9. Its skin at the jaw area is highly flexible, able to be stretched to 3 times its length, a scary feat when u suddenly see scales very dispersed on the skin which was once covered with scales totally!
10. A record 9000 pounds of force per square inch was delivered upon constriction of prey. Not just suffocating, also forcing bones to break and the heart to just stop under the intense pressure ( like having the entire weight of a school bus on just one inch of your body). No wonder they do not need venom!

Lastly, I was watching the documentary with my nephew on my lap. I looked at him and said, “Kalaulah Anaconda telan engkau, kenyang tu Anaconda setahun!” “If ever an Anaconda were to eat you up, it will be full for a year!”

But I cannot live up to the prospect of having my nephew being eaten up like that! NO! let me be the one to hug him as my bolster at night when I sleep!