Pythons can swallow almost anything (PICTURES)  

Their size does not justify opening the mouth

A new study of Myanmar’s giant pythons, which can reach 5 meters in length, reveals that their size does not explain the incredible opening of their mouths. So the species Python molorus bivittatus, which can swallow whole deer or alligators, has developed a unique feature that allows its jaws to open six times wider than other snakes of a similar size.

And while in Southeast Asia their existence may be threatened by the loss of environment due to humans, the impact of their presence in Florida, USA is more than noticeable.

The Everglades ecosystem is changing in real time because of a single species, the Burmese python, which devours anything in its path.

The researchers carefully studied plasma biology. To be able to open its mouth even wider, it has an extremely elastic skin between its lower jaw, which allows it to swallow animals larger than its highly mobile jaw would allow. Because snakes swallow their food whole without chewing, the opening of the mouth determines what they can eat.

Unlike humans and other mammals, snakes have a lower jaw that is attached to the rest of the skull loosely by elastic cartilage, allowing them to open their mouths wider.

The elastic skin between the right and left lower jaw is very different in pythons. Over 40% of the total opening comes from the elastic skin. Even if you take into account their huge head, the opening is gigantic.

The enormous size of the python not only allows it to expand its menu, but also keeps it away from the menu of other hunters.

Once pythons reach a certain size, only alligators can eat them. And pythons eat alligators.

The research was published in Integrative Organismal Biology .