Observations on the Constrictive Phase of Feeding Behaviour in Boa Constrictor

Abstract

The observations recorded here were begun in complete ignorance of any previous work there may have been. Since subsequent searching in the small library available to us revealed no comparable study, it was thought worthwhile to prepare this short note; yet, it seems hardly possible that similar observations have not been made before. The tests had two objectives: 1) to determine whether or not the termination of constriction depended upon some stimulus from the prey; 2) to gain some insight into the nature of the stimulus if there were one.