Man eating snakes?

[Solid Snake]

anyone know any stories that giant pythons sometimes go for their owners? I would like to hear. Thx

[marisa]

I personally cannot site any specific examples but I believe the bigger danger is just the stregth to constrict on a person, and this causes the most accicents over a person being eaten, I think.

Marisa

[Solid Snake]

i'd love to get a giant python but my parents aren't too fond of'em. They tell me in my country(camboadia) there are huge snakes that eat people but i know its bull cuz i'm not a kid lol.

btw, does anyone know what kind of Python species live in Cambodia, Vietnam, Loas, and Thailand?...

trying to convince my parents so i can use our spare room for a burmese.

[Mike177]

reports of snakes EATING men are rare but reports of large constricts (Retics and Burms in most cases) constricting and killing there owners are much more common. i read something in REPTILES magazine that said about 2 people a year get killed by burm attacks. most of the time a snake cant eat a human just due to size. it is very hard for a snake to get around a humans shoulder when going head first. here are some pics (i cant speak for there credibility) but i hope that answered you Question

http://www.tongs.com/gallery/snakebites/26.jpg
I think that one turned out to be a big pig or something.

http://www.tongs.com/gallery/snakebites/27.jpg
i am a bit sceptical of this one just because it seems to get blurry in just the right places

http://www.tongs.com/gallery/snakebites/25.jpg
(pig again)

and this one is a human being pulled out of the stomich of a BIG crock, just look at what the guy is holding,
http://www.tongs.com/gallery/snakebites/28.jpg

[burmer]

There are lots of urban legend stories about anacondas eating people. When ever someone dissapears in the jungles of South America it gets blamed on an annie.

[Mike177]

ok to anser the other question
Here are the snakes in the genus Python in the following countries,

Cambodia: Indian Python (Python molurus) and The Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus)

Vietnam:Indian Python (Python molurus) Burmese Python (Python molurus Bivittatus), and The Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus)

Loas: Indian Python (Python molurus) and The Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus)

Thailand: Indian Python (Python molurus), Burmese Python (Python molurus Bivittatus), Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus), Blood Pythons (Python brongersmai)

i wouldnt bet my life on that so if a made a mistake anyone correct me so i dont give out false info

[NewLineReptile]

Sounds right to me Mike

Brandon

[Jayson]

I believe those pic's were all proven to be false. Not 100% sure though.
however you must keep in mind that when a burmese python reaches 1-2 years of age it could be large enough to constrict and kill a person.
So in my opinion when you own a large constrictor you should always have someone who can help when it comes time to clean the cage and feed, and this should not include a parent who is afraid of snakes.
JASON

[T.O-SK8TER]

I have a movie about reptiles and the man is fedding his reticulated python a chicken and says that a couple of people in Asia are eaten by these snakes a year and that he believes that many more are taken than are reported. This leads me to believe it is true because it is the only other information I have heard about this topic that is not a rumour.

[Zoe]

The first and third pictures are of the same snake. They are real pictures, but they are not a human in a snake.

The second picture is fake. 1st where are the animals guts? 2nd why isn't he more crushed like he should be, I mean have you seen snake puke? It DOESNT look like a rat anymore! 3rd, a snake that size probably could not get past the shoulders of an adult human male.

The third picture is fake too. It has been proven so, and it is if you think about it. That arm is pretty intact, when is the last time a crocodile swallowed a complete human limb with chewing it?

ONE confirmed case of a human being eaten by a snake exists, and even then the snake didn't get past the shoulders. The snake in question was a retic, and the man was a worker in the forest when he was attacked. Many other cases exist, of children dissapearing along the banks in SA/African countries and were possibly eaten by snakes. Numerous confirmed cases of humans being constricted by their pet snakes exist, too.

But yeah, it's pretty unlikely that you're going to be eaten by a normal giant snake, unless you cover yourself in chicken blood and hop around in front of a 20ft female. There is always a danger, but its pretty unlikey.

Zoe

[k2mag360]

the 2nd picture has to b fake becuz that means the snake would have eaten the man feet first.

[reptilez]

Are you saying that youve never seen a snake eat its pray feet first? Mine does it all the time.

[Invictus]

One of our corns repeatedly eats full grown adult mice SIDEWAYS. It's fun listening to the mouse's spine snap as Morpheus folds the mouse in half to get it down. :) So feet first? NO problem for ANY snake.... if that pic were real of course :) If a retic can't get past the shoulders, I seriously doubt a burm could get a whole human down.

[T.O-SK8TER]

If you do the math, It seems possible.
Compare- 10 foot snake eats 1.5 foot long rabbit
- 20 foot long snake eats a meal 3 feet long
- 30 foot snake eats 4.5 foot animal

Because snakes can eat meals larger than the comparisons I believe only a 30 foot and up snake may eat a 5 foot nurished human, there is no reason that snakes would not look at us as prey. We give off heat and if we never bathed Im sure we would smell like food to them. I don't think snakes can realy tell the difference between humans and animals they eat other than the size difference.

[Zoe]

We aren't typical prey though, because first of all why would a human make good prey? We're bony, tall and thin with wide shoulders. Not that a snake might not take advantage of an opporunity - but other prey would be far better suited. And if you compare a human to another animal or similar size - our shoulders are huge. While some snakes could, many can't, get past human shoulders.

Zoe

[T.O-SK8TER]

But feet first would be easy for them, I think that a human standing up may intimidate a snake no matter what size because we stand as tall as some animals that on there hind legs would be near 8 feet tall.

[Zoe]

I don't think its a matter of indimidation, but of opportunity. I mean, when is a giant snake exposed to humans? (other than in captivity). Even in some of the poorer countries, not too much. They live in villages and such. And sometimes children play along riverbanks, or young men work in the forests, and THATS when they get attacked/eaten because that is when the opportunity arrises. I think that if humans lived IN the same habitat as the snake, and of course not in houses/villages, humans (children, at the very least) would probably often fall prey to snakes. But as it stands, its in the snake's best interest to avoid humans (other than for the obvious reasons of weapons and such), because human meat is poor meat. First, it's omnivour meat which is of low quality, and second there isn't much of it. No, a big tasty pig or antelope would be far better nummers for a big snake :D

Zoe

[Thomas]

that pic of the boa/python, strung up turned out to be a force fed log, I think.

[Bryce Masuk]

Could a snake kill the people in the jungle but many carry goloks or machetes so if they see a snake or if it attacks them they will chop its head off eat it and sell the skin. carrying a blade there is like having a right arm. many people i would not doubt have been attacked and killed the snake. But what are the chances even if a snakes has eaten someone thats its going to be on t.v. or in the paper slim to none. these people often have no power and no camera's and it wouldnt hit the news anyways North americans dont give a crap what happened to a poor villager in indonesia.

I would not doubt that a person has been eaten its not common but it could happen. another thing to take into consideration is the average size of a indonesian person. I am not trying to be racist or belittle them but they often are of smaller stature then your average north american which could make it even more possible

Snakes are not picky they will eat damn near anything they can find if its been dead for a few days so what its food I doubt a hungry snake has much of a prefernce when food is involved

[Zoe]

Snakes are not picky Tell that to my IJCP! ;)

[Linds]

Originally posted by T.O-SK8TER
human, there is no reason that snakes would not look at us as prey. We give off heat and if we never bathed Im sure we would smell like food to them. I don't think snakes can realy tell the difference between humans and animals they eat other than the size difference.

They all have their different scents and tastes. We don't all smell the same (washed or not), nor do we taste the same. Can you say that beef tastes like chicken? Sure don't smell the same either. What about frogs and fish? People and fish? We are not natural prey items for snakes, as well as other predators such as sharks. When these animals have attacked us it was under mistaken identity.

All the snake fatalities in captivity are from irresponsible handling. There is no reason a snake should have the opportunity to kill their handlers. All precautions must be taken to see that this does not happen. Most common mistake is putting a big snake around ones neck.

[LdyDrgn]

Or playing with something fuzzy then not washing up/changing clothes.....

[Bryce Masuk]

Zoe I stuck hungry somewhere in there.... dont feed your IJ for a year then it will eat anything it can overpower

[Scales Zoo]

Humans taste kind of like pork, a little sweeter, so I've heard.

We've met people from Africa who talk about carrying their kids on their shoulders. They say it isn't to keep them from the Lions, but rather the large pythons.

Some tribes in Africa worship the rock python. At one time, certain tribes offered sacrafices of young virgins to the snake. They would leave them tied up very near the snakes den, and when they would come back the next day, the girl would always be gone.

As far as the gator picture goes....

I've got a friend who is very well travelled, and is a collector of all animal oddities, unique taxidermy, etc. He bought a few pictures and the original negatives from an oil worker.

I've seen them, and they show in very graphic detail, a crocodile being cut open and peices of a human coming out.

I've got other pictures of snakes eating people, that I should dig up. There was one in particular that I thought odd - i will look for it.

The picture already posted here, I believe to be fake. There is not any skin damage, and the arms appear to be going upwards. To me, it looks like he was supposed to be eaten head first, and if so, why are the arms above his head. If he was eaten feet first, one leg would have been folded backwards - chances are very slim that the snake would have grabbed both feet and started eating them.

But in the other picture, you could see teeth marks in the skin and clothing. I've watched large retics eat large food items, and their teeth definitely leave marks.

Ryan

[Zoe]

Bryce, I starved her for months, I finally gave in when I could see her spine jutting out of her back.

Zoe

[Linds]

Originally posted by Scales Zoo
Humans taste kind of like pork, a little sweeter, so I've heard.


Close enough to what I've heard! I heard the closes thing to eating people is SPAM :p This was from some cooking dude on TV.. forget his name, but he's on late at night. He named his spam "Edgar" :p

[Zoe]

The taste of human meat differs according to the diet of the person. It does taste a lot like pork - diet is quite similar and so is body/muscle structure. Humans who eat mostly meat will be saltier and tougher, whereas those who eat less meat will be sweeter, and more tender (though human meat is never really that tender). Vegetarians are tough as heck unless they bulk up on protein. Human meat is sometimes to compared to bear meat.

And before someone asks, I'm not a cannibal! lol

Zoe

[frosty]

I was once very interested in this topic once so i did some reserch. Dont know 100% if its true but i herd that most deaths are coused by burms mostly becouse that the most common big snakes and there food misjudgments. Also the most common snake to kill and eat a human is a african rock in africa. There quick as hell and very opertunists. Also retics becouse they have problems trying to eat things bigger then they can. Also they dont have problems eating from the feet anicandas have been documented to do it. And most likely if a snake wanted to eat u a knife would not help u. Like my rock snake they attack so fast u wouldnt even know what hit u till u were wrapt up. And i dont think u will be able to grab your knife when that happens u are getting crushed. Thats just what i herd and saw on the net. Dont take my word for it just telling u my beliefes and what i herd.

[Bryce Masuk]

Maybe A golok wouldnt help you personally but In many indo countrys people use them from birth to death and carry it 24/7 and often have them out while hacking though the bushes before a snake strikes they will often kill it right away off with its head. Trust me i know the subject ;) in order to make a blade you must understand its use and history
And you dont die instantly you are biten then wrapped up a golok, bolo, or machete will cut through a snake in one swipe if you go for the neck

[T.O-SK8TER]

yea but will your arms be free if you get caught in the consrictors grasp?

[creander]

We are not prey for giant snakes,snakes are proven to be afraid of humans,these pics here are proven fake,for what i know there are only 2 humans that are contricted by a giant snakes, in these 2 cases was it a Burms , one was a 14 year old child that was eaten chicken when the burm was outside his cage,the second one was a dronken man that feld a sleep in the cage whit he's Burm and he was constricded too, non of these was the snake trying to eat the human.

[Solid Snake]

Originally posted by creander
We are not prey for giant snakes,snakes are proven to be afraid of humans,these pics here are proven fake,for what i know there are only 2 humans that are contricted by a giant snakes, in these 2 cases was it a Burms , one was a 14 year old child that was eaten chicken when the burm was outside his cage,the second one was a dronken man that feld a sleep in the cage whit he's Burm and he was constricded too, non of these was the snake trying to eat the human.

wheres the proof people!?

i think snakes are able to eat people. If a snake is fully grown and hungy, sees a guy who he thinks can eat, it'll take'em.

[T.O-SK8TER]

I myself believe that snakes have the instinct to eat nearly everything that is alive and of appropriate size, to my mind a large enough snake will eat a human, it is logical and I don t think a snake understands how we taste and our nutritional value!LOL
Thats just my thoughts.

[Mike P]

I agree Large snakes could quite possibly eat humans. If a snake cant get around our shoulders how the hell does it eat a gazzelle with antlers. Plus after its constricted a human its quite possible that your shoulders would be dislocated ribs crushed, we,d go down like a limp noodle

[T.O-SK8TER]

Mike P its been proven that snakes do not crush bone durring the constricting process, however snakes will eat a prey item feet first now and then.

[Solid Snake]

if they couldn't get through the shoulders wouldn't they simply crush our shoulders to dis locate them then swollow? Or are they just stupid? not quite sure how smart Giant snakes are, never fed any of my Boids reallly large meals. But thinking about how rectics can take down antilopes and such, i think it would be quite possible.

lets wait and see if someone gets eaten.

[Mark Kozelek]

im from the Philippines & there are several incidents of retics eating humans. i don't have pictures but eveidences(documents: videos, pics) are on the local news.

[rich k]

I saw a picture in National Geographic about 10 years ago of a large python with clearly recognizable water buffolo horns inside of it. It was a youngster of corse but a large meal none the less. Snakes do exist on this planet today that eat people. People in Asia are on average of small stature. It is rare to meet a 6 ft tall asian. I witnessed on many occations the scary size of the Bronx Zoo's now decised 26 ft. retic Samantha. That snake could swallow a human being 5 ft of so and about 125 lbs. You have got to see them in person to appreciate the emence size they possess.

[rich k]

Oh yea by the way, in referencew to the croc picture above. Crocs do not chew. Anything too large to swallow whole they grab a piece of flesh and spin thier bodie's to dismember the victim. I cannot say for certain if the pic is authentic or not but it is not fake based on that arm being too big. Wildabeasts go 300 lbs and would mess a person up real bad if they wanted to. We have all seen the nile crocs on Animal Planet making short work of wildabeasts.

[M_surinamensis]

::sigh:: Kinda expected better here, some of those responses were the kind of thing I expect to see from AOL users.

How many times do people have to mention the shoulder width before it enters the think skulls of some of you? Have you never seen a snake eat? With very few exceptions, they work one corner of the jaw at a time, the tendons are elastile and can stretch quite wide, but the mouth can't be voluntarily opened wider from side to side, the tissue stretches but that's as far as it goes.

The change in width from head to shoulders is too sharp, too quick to allow purchase around them. In theory extremely small children might represent potential prey but this changes at a very young age, as even toddlers are the wrong shape.

As to swallowing a human feet first... The snake would have to get both feet in the mouth and started down the throat simultaneously for that to work, only one leg or the other and the change in width when hitting the pelvis is just as dramatic as the change in width between neck and shoulder, only compounded because now there's a leg forked off to one side. The jaws of some snakes are fairly powerful but not to the point where they could break or dislocate a human's leg at the hip.

Any reported cases are lies, sensationalism and myth, period. Human deaths? Sure. Humans being consumed... No adults, never has happened and likely never will unless someone has access to parapalegics with no shoulder blades or collar bones.

Good sized crocodilians could certainly kill and potentially consume a person but those pictures don't look particularly authentic to me, the break at the upper arm is too clean and suggests something other than salties or niles yanking pieces off.

[Siretsap]

Actually, the theory that a snake cannot get passed a human's shoulder is a myth. Not to burst your bubbles, but it's not true they cannot get passed our shoulders.

[Dragon_Slave]

You said that the snake would have to get both feet down before it would be able to consume the human... well, did it ever occur to you that that could possibly be the case? I don't know, but hey, stranger things have happened.

[Cruciform]

What about monkeys and apes? Are they prey items on any snakes diet?

If they are, the whole shoulder theory is shot to hell.

[M_surinamensis]

Monkeys are for some boids BUT... the shoulder width is not as extreme. Monkeys are built in a manner which allows them to stand but still leaves them just as comfortable moving on all fours when on the ground, this pushes the shoulders forward rather than to the sides.

Humans have a shoulder width that ranges between about two and a half and three+ times the width of their head, monkeys generally have about 1-1.5 with a thicker (proportionally) neck.

Apes covers a lot of animals... Great apes? None are eaten as an adult, the whole changing bodily proportions as they age thing applies just as it does with us so it's possible that baby chimps or ourangutans get nabbed from time to time but they spend the majority of the period before they begin to grow into an adult shape with their mother as I understand it. Lesser apes like baboons and... um... Gibbons (heh?) have proportions more like those of a monkey than a human being.

And despite what Siretap seems to believe to be true, shoulder width does matter, not simply for the width itself but for the angle at which the width changes.

Getting both feet into the mouth evenly... Are you serious? I tossed it in there because yeah, I suppose if you had someone KOed, tied their feet together and then tried to tease feed a good sized snake they might grab them first but the likelyhood of such conditions being met are so astronomically low as to be a practical impossibility.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Originally posted by Mike P
I agree Large snakes could quite possibly eat humans. If a snake cant get around our shoulders how the hell does it eat a gazzelle with antlers. Plus after its constricted a human its quite possible that your shoulders would be dislocated ribs crushed, we,d go down like a limp noodle

The horns(not called antlers on them) are sometimes crushed or snapped back before they are swallowed. The digestive juices will make short work of the "knobs" left. I have been told that they may swallow the horns(assuming the head is bent back, and the horns are lying flush with the body), and while the finish swallowing the gazzelle(or impala, or whatever they are swallowing), the horns will be digested because it takes them so long. Dont quote me on this, but I do know that they have enough strenth to break the horns. I have broken a deer antler before, so im sure a snake could do it. Also, some of the types of horns are different, and are easier to brake/digest. I figure if they had to much of a problem swallowing, they would just spit it out and catch something else.

C.