# Headline: Python Eats Porcupine, Regrets It Later (Here's Why) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 27, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headline-python-eats-porcupine-regrets-it-later-heres-why/723645 "2015-06-27T18:13:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headline-python-eats-porcupine-regrets-it-later-heres-why/723645/1 "2015-06-27T18:13:18Z")
Well, duh. [Python Eats Porcupine, Regrets It Later (Here’s Why)](http://news.yahoo.com/python-eats-porcupine-regrets-later-heres-why-114016276.html). Yeah, I know we’re not suppose to post links to stories without at least _some_ commentary. But that headline, y’know, just seems to tell the whole story. Okay, some commentary. Actually, to be sure, it’s not clear exactly what happened to this python. > [@](#): > > In the 2003 study, entitled “Prickly food: snakes preying upon porcupines,” researchers found that when a snake eats a porcupine, the animal’s quills are left undigested and are easily detectable in the snake’s gut. Sometimes, the quills will even pierce all the way through the snake’s body, according to the study. But there’s no word yet on whether this particular snake died because it was pierced by quills or because it fell off a ledge (or because it was pierced by quills as a result of falling off the ledge), Fuller told the Australian news website [News.com](http://News.com). Same story [here, with even more pictures](http://m.livescience.com/51362-python-eats-porcupine-photos.html) (mostly of rangers slicing the snake open and skinning it). It says that snakes eating porcupines is not all that uncommon. It also says that outcomes similar to this are not all that uncommon. Stupid snakes. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headline-python-eats-porcupine-regrets-it-later-heres-why/723645/2 "2015-06-27T19:55:55Z")
That’s a meal that’ll really stick to the ribs. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headline-python-eats-porcupine-regrets-it-later-heres-why/723645/3 "2015-06-27T20:21:18Z")
I think it’s critically important here to eat the porcupine head first. That way it’ll probably come out OK :). Snakes who mess up and eat the porcupine tail first are Darwin candidates for sure. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headline-python-eats-porcupine-regrets-it-later-heres-why/723645/4 "2015-06-27T23:07:26Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I think it’s critically important here to eat the porcupine head first. That way it’ll probably come out OK :). > > Snakes who mess up and eat the porcupine tail first are Darwin candidates for sure. I’m pretty sure the porcupine is NOT gonna come out ok. Finding something like that would put me off cycling pretty much forever. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2015, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headline-python-eats-porcupine-regrets-it-later-heres-why/723645/5 "2015-06-28T06:21:33Z")
Ya think it’s even _possible_ for a snake to swallow a porcupine tail-first? ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headline-python-eats-porcupine-regrets-it-later-heres-why/723645/6 "2015-06-28T16:51:07Z")
Evolution hasn’t kept up-the snake saw a tasty meal, but failed to heed the spines.