Scientists at the University of Cincinnati in the US have found an explanation for Burmese pythons' insatiable strife to eat animals much larger than their own size, specifically how they are able to do it in the first place.
Studying the species at the Everglades National Park, where they were accidentally introduced years ago, the biologists found that pythons can swallow grown deer and even alligators – the only predator capable of hunting Burmese pythons.
However, as the scientists learned, Burmese pythons grew skin around their jaws that can stretch by 40%. Combined with disjointed upper and lower jaws, it enables them to swallow their prey full and then regurgitate it back after digestion. No other snake can expand its jaw by such a percentage.
"The stretchy skin between left and right lower jaws is radically different in pythons. Just over 40% of their total gape area on average is from stretchy skin. Even after you correct for their large heads [to other snake species], their gape is enormous," University of Cincinnati professor Bruce Jayne said.
Eating big prey allows Burmese pythons to hunt less, slowly digesting a larger animal instead while remaining practically stationary. This way they subject themselves to risk less.
Another perk they enjoy is that by being capable of extending their jaws that wide, young pythons have a wider variety of species on their menu compared to other snakes. Thus they have a greater chance of not starving and thriving in environments filled with wildlife.
That is why they are so invasive and why their insatiable hunger hurts the Everglades National Park ecosystem, the researchers explained.
"Once those pythons get to a reasonable size, it’s pretty much just alligators that can eat them. And pythons eat alligators […] They’re clearly preying on an assortment of native wildlife, which has a cascading effect in the ecosystem," professor Jayne added.