You can visually track digestion progress by observing the lump in your snake's body. Immediately after feeding, the bulge is obvious and located near the front third of the body.
Here, we provide the first multi-species comparison of post-feeding organ regenerative responses in snakes by analysing the response of two species that do, and a third that does not, regenerate upon feeding.
Many snakes can subdue and swallow very large prey after many months of fasting. The functional capacity and the mass of the gastrointestinal organs regress during fasting, but are quickly restored upon feeding.
By studying snakes with varying degrees of dietary specialization, we can test the integration of diet, morphology, and behavior to better understand the evolution of consuming difficult prey.
In this review, we highlight recent research on many of these aspects of snakes, particularly research published after the last major review of feeding in snakes by Cundall and Greene (2000).
