Pythons' extreme biology may hold clues for treating human disease
These snakes can go for months without eating, grow and shrink the size of their hearts and jump start their metabolism on a dime. (Image credit: Ari Daniel for NPR)
These snakes can go for months without eating, grow and shrink the size of their hearts and jump start their metabolism on a dime.
(Image credit: Ari Daniel for NPR)
Pythons have several unusual traits that scientists are studying for potential clues for treating human disease. Ari Daniel for NPR hide caption
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When Skip Maas first adopted Agrapina, a mottled ball python, she hadn't eaten in 14 months.
But as he soon observed, she was still a taut coil of spring-loaded muscle. Presented with a rat, she struck quickly, constricted it and then gorged on her meal.
And then her body performed another feat pythons are known for: It accelerated its metabolism dramatically to deal with the sudden influx of protein and fats, says Maas, "to help break down that meal and extract all of its nutrients."
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