venom vs. constricting

[Pia]

When feeding live prey to a venomous snake does the venom kill them faster than if they were constricted by something like a python?

[Andy_G]

It depends on the snake specie and the size of the prey.

[cobraman]

generally not

[BWSmith]

Constricting is a kill by physical trauma basically. Venom is a chemical kill so often it takes much longer. There are vens that have a VERY quick kill time and you may get a quick kill if fangs pierce a major organ. But generally speaking, venom takes longer. There are exceptions to every rule.

[Pia]

Thanks all!

[Jeremy]

Venmous kill times depend more on the snake then the sp. I have Coral Cobras that have droped adult mice in under 30 seconds but other times the same snake will take 20 mins to kill! It all depends on them.

Alot of the time captive animals get kinda lazy, mostly because of feeding already dead prey and dont do things quite as they would in the wild. For instance, I have a male western Coral Cobra (sub speices infuscatus) that occasionly lifts up the first third of his body and opens his mouth when I open the cage. He will sit there like that untill I place the mouse in his mouth!!!! Lazy ingrate!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As for fastest and most reliable kill times, Ive had canebrakes (C.horridus) which would hit a mouse, have it jump in the air and by the time it hit the ground again it was stone cold dead!!!! This would happen ever time it fed!!!

Also, ive seen photage of a juvi O.scutellatus (Coastal Tiapan) biteing and killing an adult rat in under 3 seconds!!! The rat was atleast 5 times larger then the snake its self!!!! (of cource Tiapans are regarded as the worlds most toxic snakes so thats to be expected)

I have a few weird specimens of Mangrove tree vipers and cantils that seem to like to torture their prey and sit there and chomp on it with their stelettos several times before attempting to walk their fangs towards the head for ingestion. The reason I say this is beause they will continue to do so with the mouse squirming for up to 10 mins!!! These animals do not get live food often and when I do feed it to them, I only use smaller sized mice (small hoppers and fuzzies).

Basicly, kill times are very unreilable and can never be taken as exact. The only thing you can gain from watching a quick kill time is the posible max potential of the snake but they still may be able to kill faster if they so choose to at taht instance.

Anyway, back to the orginal question. I belive both are very effective and quick killing methods but the fastest venomous kill times I have witnessed are by far quicker them most kill times I have seen from constrictors. I do have a pinsnake that has killed mice almost instanly but that because this pirticular pine is well over 6 ft and poped the dang hair ball into a bloodly mess!! Then the ingrate saw me move and came flying out of the cage trying to get me!!! Left me and nice bloody smear in prosess. God I love them!!

Sorry to ramble.

All the best,
Jeremy

[Matt]

good post jeremy!

[Invictus]

That's a hilarious story about your cobra, Jeremy :D

[Mustangrde1]

Jeremy you wouldnt be housing that pine anywhere near a pigmy rattler would you. possibly he has been watching the little Napoleons in action.lol great post

[Pia]

Jeremy, lol! sounds like you truly enjoy your snakes :-)

[TheRedDragon]

*LOL* Man, what a lazy cobra! *LOL*

[Lisa]

I can't immagine placing anything in a cobras mouth.

[Jeremy]

Hey guys,
Im glad you enjoyed the antics of my CC:-) I swear he does this every few feedings.

Incidently, HE IS NOT A TRUE COBRA. Coral Cobras are somwhat closely related but are in their own genus, Aspidelaps (shared only by one other sp. African Sheildnose snakes) and are more compareable to alot of the burrowing elapids people are fimilar with like American Coral snakes and African gatersnakes. Hell, they are even more like American Hognose snakes then anything else. A better name would probally be Cape Coralsnake. Though they do rear up, they do not have a hood but simplty flatten the first third of their bodies to create the illisuion. They are also very small in comaprison, maxing out at a measly 3 ft. 4fters have been recorded but these were turly monsters!!

Welp, thanks for the comments,
Jeremy