It seems that the 4-meter-long Burmese python was too big for its prey and broke its stomach before it could finish its meal. However, the crocodile fooled the python into thinking it was de.ad by lowering its heart rate to 2-3 beats per minute. “The crocodile’s heart doesn’t vibrate no matter what we do. They are very resilient,” said Flavio Fenton, a professor in the School of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Burmese pythons hunt by relying on their prey’s heartbeat, so the crocodile can trick the python into thinking its target is lying motionless. It appears that the crocodile attacked the opponent from the inside after having its head, shoulders, and front legs sw.all.owed. The counterattack was so strong that the python b.ur.st its stomach and both animals d.i.ed in the water.
The outcome of the battle between the two reptiles was surprising, said Frank Mazzoti, a wildlife professor at the University of Florida. “Obviously if pythons can k.i.l.l crocodiles, they can k.i.l.l other species. This shows that this is a draw,” Mazzoni said. Wildlife experts then discovered crocodile skin in the python’s intestinal tract. They believe the python accidentally crawled into dangerous territory because the American alligator is native to the Everglade but the Burmese python is not.
The increase in in.va.sive python populations is linked to the international pet trade, with owners often releasing pythons into the wild if they are large enough.
Crocodiles have a 4-chambered heart that allows them to push out the air so they can sink into the water, reducing oxygen consumption. A small opening called the Foramen of Panizza in the center of the left and right aorta allows air to be pushed through while submerged and helps lower the heart rate.
