I chose the topic “Snakes Eating Habits”. I’ve always been interested in reptiles for as long as I can remember. They are fast, sleek, and they’re reactions are so unpredictable. They slide on the ground so silently you won’t know they’re there until they strike. I chose this investigation with partners Phillip and Alex because we all agreed that the most fascinating things snakes naturally do is eat. So, we thought, is there a different way the two snakes eat? Since Phillip and I both have snakes, this was our great opportunity to further our investigation on this topic.
“What is the difference between a Ball Python and a California King Snakes eating habits?” Is there a different technique either one uses to kill their prey. Is there a different way either one strikes at their victim, or do they digest their food differently? We chose some of these questions in hopes of finding out the answer.
Snakes are reptiles. This means that they have to regulate their body temperature to keep their blood pumping. That is what cold-blooded means. Their diet consists of small rodents or any animal that can fit in their mouth. To prove that they will eat practically anything that fits into their mouth, listen to this… A Garter Snake will eat a big frog, (a Garter Snake is about two feet long and the diameter is about ¾”) a python will eat a 40-pound pig. (about 5’6” with a diameter of about 4 inches) and the largest python will eat a leopard or even a human which is highly unlikely (about… really long and about… really thick) Yet snakes can be very nice (IF THEY KNOW YOU!) They are deaf, yet that does not matter because they can feel vibration. They also smell with and breathe with their tongue. The reason they don’t suffocate when they eat is because they can toss their tongue out to get a breath of air. At this point, this is all the information I found out on snakes and how they eat.
I did many things to answer my question. First, I bought the right size frozen mouse and if you’re curious, it’s a Pinkie mouse. Next, I filmed my Cal. King snake eating the mouse I bought. Then, I put it on a video tape and brought it to school. At school, we looked over the tapes I filmed of my snake. To find the difference between the two snakes eating habits (my partner filmed his snake eating to). Finally, I gathered all of my information and found some answers to my questions.. It was a great deal of work, but I did it and it was fun.
Now, for the part you’ve been waiting for, my discoveries. Since there are many differenced beyond my knowledge, I am still experimenting with this subject. Even though I’m not finished with it, I have found some interesting thins that gets me closer to my answer. Like how Phillip’s Ball Python will cock his head to get more power when he strikes and my snake just ears it without needing extra will just devour it. Phillip’s snake does something my snake does not do after its eats. His snake stands up vertical, we think to digest quicker. As I continue to research this topic, I need more differences to evaluate my investigation. So far, I would give this project a 8 on a scale.
I’ve not had enough time to do everything I have wanted to do with my topic. Here are some things you could try. You could check the different reactions the snake has to different things like water or vibrations really wanted to work on snakes senses. A question you might use for a future KIC presentation would be, how will a snake react to another snake in the same cage. (Make sure your snake is not known to ear other snakes)