任何一条大蟒蛇吞食大得难以置信的猎物的视频都会告诉你，蛇有绝对巨大的嘴巴。 A recent study set out to determine just how gaping these ginormous food holes really are.
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One of the largest species of snakes found in the world, the Burmese python can grow to an impressive length of around 3-5 meters (10-16 feet) and weigh in at around 90 kilograms (200 pounds).因此，难怪有时会在野外看到它们捕食鹿甚至鳄鱼等大型猎物。
缅甸蟒蛇张开嘴，中间嵌有棕色树蛇。图片来源：Jayne 等人，2022，综合有机体生物学
由于有一种叫做声门的可靠器官，蛇也不会被食物噎住。 Located inside their mouth on top of their windpipe, this organ can move upwards while the snake is eating, meaning no matter the size of prey, their windpipe will never be obstructed.
对于这项研究，37是从佛罗里达州南部收集的，在那里它们被认为是。为了这项研究，总共有 43 条缅甸蟒蛇被安乐死。
虽然缅甸蟒蛇有能力吃掉超过自身体重的猎物，但这可能会危及生命。
吃掉和消化大型猎物对于蛇的宝贵能量水平来说是昂贵的，并且使得快速逃跑变得困难。 Additionally, because of their slow rate of digestion, large prey can start to rot while they're digesting it leading to infection and potentially death.
该研究发表于综合有机体生物学。
