What Are a Boa Constrictor's Favorite Prey    Smithsonian - video Dailymotion

MANAR G TV

Watch What Are a Boa Constrictor's Favorite Prey    Smithsonian - MANAR G TV on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00 Rats were a permanent fixture of prison life,

00:05 adding to the misery and squalor of the living conditions.

00:09 The people may have gone,

00:13 but the prison's ruins still offer hiding places to rodents.

00:17 The rodents perform an important role

00:21 in the island's ecology.

00:23 Many of the forest trees rely on spiny rats for propagation.

00:29 (crickets chirping)

00:31 Cracking the shells allows the seeds to germinate,

00:35 and by catching their finds,

00:37 the rodents help to distribute the seeds around the forest.

00:41 But these gardeners are themselves on the forest menu.

00:47 They're prey for pretty much

00:51 every large predator on the island.

00:53 Having failed to snare a capuchin,

00:58 the female boa is on the hunt again.

01:02 Like many snakes, she has a sixth sense

01:05 when it comes to hunting.

01:07 She's able to detect the warmth of her prey

01:12 even if she can't see them.

01:14 And with every flick of her tongue,

01:17 the boa picks up scent molecules

01:20 from the surrounding environment.

01:22 Guided by heat and scent,

01:26 she can track her quarry even on the darkest night.

01:30 She's locked onto her target.

01:35 A master of stealthy stalking,

01:42 she's got the perfect camouflage for an ambush.

01:45 She lies in wait for the rat to get within striking range.

01:52 (ominous music)

01:55 Her sharp teeth lock into the rat.

02:22 (ominous music)

02:25 Before it has the chance to fight back,

02:28 she throws her coils around it.

02:30 She kills by crushing, squeezing the rat so hard

02:42 it stops the blood flow.

02:44 Death comes quickly.

02:48 (ominous music)

02:51 The rat is swallowed whole.

02:58 (ominous music)

03:01 (birds chirping)

03:04 It will take her a week or so to digest her meal.

03:22 (ominous music)

03:25 (birds chirping)

03:28 (ominous music)

03:30 (ominous music)

03:34 (upbeat music)

03:37 (upbeat music)

What Are a Boa Constrictor's Favorite Prey Smithsonian

Category

Transcript

Recommended