Sabelanite Pythons

2001/01/16 Carton Virto, Eider - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Zoologia

Despite being on an empty stomach, the belly of the pythons is ready to start working no more to appear food. In the journal Journal of Experiemtal Biology, German researchers have explained that their secret is in the intestines capable of doubling the size in meals.

The new theory is contrary to what has been approved so far. A Mississippi researcher explained how snakes are fed through the theory called "producing before eating." According to him, to start digestion and absorb food it is necessary to use previously stored energy. That is, first you have to form the intestines and then start digestion. In fact, the digestive system of pythons is "off" during fasting and only resumes when the time comes to eat.

According to ancient theory, the first work done by the snake is to restore damaged cells during fasting, since otherwise it has no digestive capacity. However, German researchers consider that the intestines can recover the proper size without producing new cells. They argue that the bowel of pythons has a special flexible coverage. When eating the cells from the walls of the intestine grow and rearrange forming a single layer. In this way they get a large enough surface to absorb food. Once the digestion is finished and full of energy, the walls of the intestine are replaced so that they are ready for the next meal.

The father of the theory of “producing before eating” has doubts. He argues that he has seen cells grow in the intestine of 70 pythons and has shown several points that do not coincide with experimental observations. For example, if the python that has been without eating for a long time gives a lot of food, it dies and the food is left undigested in the belly. The Mississippi researcher says that this suggests that there is not enough energy to start digestion and that if German theory were correct, the serpent would not die.