Starving snakes devour their hearts

clipped from www.abc.net.au Jennifer Viegas Discovery News Some snakes can survive without food for two years at a time by digesting their own hearts, a new study shows. Other snakes survive by growing bigger heads to broaden prey options during periods of famine. The US study, published in the latest issue of the journal Zoology, is the first to examine starvation physiology in snakes. McCue says the snakes were usually sedentary, wrapped up in provided "hide boxes", and only explored their environments when they thought a potential food source was around. "Larger head bones mean that they can choose from a wider range of potential prey items," he says, noting that snakes cannot chew and therefore must swallow whole animals. The heart breakdown initially surprised McCue, but he says it is reasonable given that "the lower energy expenditure allows lower circulatory demands, and therefore permits the heart organ to shrink". Immediately following a nutritious meal, snake hearts can quickly rebuild themselves.