Despite being fasting, the stomach, the snake is attentive

2007/08/20 Rementeria Argote, Nagore - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Biokimika
• Biologia
• Zoologia

Many animals have the ability to last long without eating. To combat this long fast, slow metabolism, reduce body temperature... there is more than one strategy. Because they wanted to know the strategy of snakes on fastings and have received more than a surprise.

To investigate the fast of snakes, various snakes of castanets, pythons and rat snakes (obsolete Elaphe) have been used at the University of Arkansas. During 168 days they have not supplied food and have forced not to lower body temperature by keeping the laboratory at 27ºC. In this situation the respiration of the snakes has been observed, observing that the consumption of oxygen in fasting is 72% lower.

Therefore, snakes stop much more than the researchers thought. And they have made another discovery that sets them apart. During fasting, animals usually use lipid to get energy and, if they lose more than 10% of their body mass, they risk dying. However, when snakes have a 5% lost mass, instead of burning lipids, they start burning proteins, which seems to allow them to live longer.

Photo: J. Servoss, Fishing and Wildlife Service of the United States.