Chapter 1 on the hunt It is morning in the African savanna A python slithers quietly through the grass and stops in a patch of tall weeds The giant snake hides here and waits for his next meal A watering hole is nearby and animals go there to drink One may pass by soon He will ambush whatever animal comes along The python will wait in the weeds for hours He is ready to attack ambush The python looks for prey What will it
The python flicks his tongue and smells the air Something is coming Maybe it is a rat or a lizard No this is much bigger A young impala walks toward him It is the size of a small deer Can the snake eat something this large Yes he can swallow it whole The python waits until the impala gets close enough and then he strikes He grabs the impala's leg with his sharp teeth The impala kicks and tries to escape But the python quickly wraps his long body around the animal Even at a young age impalas are fast The python needs to strike catch one on its first
The Kill The python squeezes the impala as hard as he can with his muscular coils The impala cannot move The snake squeezes until the impala's heart stops beating He has killed his prey but the python's work is not done Somehow he has to fit the impala into his stomach and the animal is wider than he is THE IMPALA CANNOT ESCAPE THE coils PYTHON S STRONG
The python's mouth can open wide enough to swallow prey that is wider than the snake is Fortunately the python's jawbones are held together by ligaments that act like rubber bands Ligaments are bands of flexible connective tissue The snake stretches his mouth wide He starts to swallow the impala headfirst It is not easy But the python stretches his mouth wider until the entire impala disappears into the snake's belly The python's stomach is so full he can barely move Prey that is as big as an impala will take a long time to digest The snake needs to rest so he slowly crawls into some high grass to hide This big snake has finished a hunt very successful
