A new study has shown that specialized cells in the gut help to digest the skeletons that pythons eat. (Image credit: Zoonar GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo)
Researchers have discovered that specialized cells in the intestinal lining of Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) efficiently process calcium from the bones of their prey, helping to explain how these predators are able to digest their prey whole.
The team published their findings June 25 in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Burmese pythons typically hunt birds and small mammals, although they do not need to feed daily. These snakes swallow their prey whole and may spend several days digesting it before going out to hunt again.
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