What Are a Boa Constrictor's Favorite Prey Smithsonian
Transcript
00:00 Rats were a permanent fixture of prison life,
00:05 adding to the misery and squalor of the living conditions.
00:09 The people may have gone,
00:13 but the prison's ruins still offer hiding places to rodents.
00:17 The rodents perform an important role
00:21 in the island's ecology.
00:23 Many of the forest trees rely on spiny rats for propagation.
00:29 (crickets chirping)
00:31 Cracking the shells allows the seeds to germinate,
00:35 and by catching their finds,
00:37 the rodents help to distribute the seeds around the forest.
00:41 But these gardeners are themselves on the forest menu.
00:47 They're prey for pretty much
00:51 every large predator on the island.
00:53 Having failed to snare a capuchin,
00:58 the female boa is on the hunt again.
01:02 Like many snakes, she has a sixth sense
01:05 when it comes to hunting.
01:07 She's able to detect the warmth of her prey
01:12 even if she can't see them.
01:14 And with every flick of her tongue,
01:17 the boa picks up scent molecules
01:20 from the surrounding environment.
01:22 Guided by heat and scent,
01:26 she can track her quarry even on the darkest night.
01:30 She's locked onto her target.
01:35 A master of stealthy stalking,
01:42 she's got the perfect camouflage for an ambush.
01:45 She lies in wait for the rat to get within striking range.
01:52 (ominous music)
01:55 Her sharp teeth lock into the rat.
02:22 (ominous music)
02:25 Before it has the chance to fight back,
02:28 she throws her coils around it.
02:30 She kills by crushing, squeezing the rat so hard
02:42 it stops the blood flow.
02:44 Death comes quickly.
02:48 (ominous music)
02:51 The rat is swallowed whole.
02:58 (ominous music)
03:01 (birds chirping)
03:04 It will take her a week or so to digest her meal.
03:22 (ominous music)
03:25 (birds chirping)
03:28 (ominous music)
03:30 (ominous music)
03:34 (upbeat music)
03:37 (upbeat music)