# Snake eats whole sheep **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 6, 2006, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708 "2006-09-06T22:47:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Aunt\_Flow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Aunt\_Flow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aunt_Flow)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/41 "2006-09-07T23:31:06Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] I really hope that I am being whooshed and that you really did not miss the obvious image. **Morgan** and **Kairos** , to which Thurber story or cartoon to you allude? ( **JThunder** ’s reference I got.) [/QUOTE] I’m completely serious…I can’t see it. Maybe I’m looking too hard? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/42 "2006-09-07T23:39:52Z")
[QUOTE=Aunt Flow] I’m completely serious…I can’t see it. Maybe I’m looking too hard? [/QUOTE] (I can’t see it either, for what it’s worth.) ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/43 "2006-09-07T23:59:16Z")
[QUOTE=redtail23] Some basic rules for snake handling are (1) for snakes more than a couple feet long, don’t ever let them wrap around your neck, [/QUOTE] I don’t think there is any non-venonous, three- or four-foot snake that could successfully get around a handler’s neck, unless the handler wanted it to. Think about it: the snake is on the ground, or at arm’s length. You’re standing. Snakes don’t prey on humans. Why would it try to get around your neck? Even if you did deliberately put it around your neck, you could easily pull it off. They’re strong, but not that strong. I’ve seen people all over (like at the beach, showing off their pet) with longer (about six feet) and bigger pythons hanging on their necks, and I’ve yet to hear of a report where any one of these people suddenly were killed by their snake. A 14-footer, maybe. Probably what happend in these reports is that the snake was so big that it could latch onto its owner (with its _teeth_) in some debilitating what, so that he was unable to defend himself. While some non-venonmous snakes have fangs (or sharp teeth that can give you a nasty bite), pythons don’t–but a 14-foot one would have pretty strong jaws, and regular teeth sharp enough to rip into your flesh pretty badly, if it wanted to. And of course, the snake would have to have been provoked, because they otherwise have no reason to attack a person. Domesticated pythons tend to be pretty calm creatures, on the average. I suppose, though, that snakes can go psycho just as much as humans can. I’ve seen handlers go in cages of over ten-foot pythons several times in both the Los Angeles and San Diego zoo. One guy handed the animal out to someone behind, and it cooperated peacefully. [QUOTE=redtail23] and (2) don’t handle anything over about eight feet without another person present. Doing either of those is a good way to get dead, quick, without any intent of harm on the part of the snake. [/QUOTE] Well, driving on the freeway is a good way to get dead, quick, without intent of harm on the part of a drunk driver. But I still do it. ---
**Author:** ![Kairos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecc23a/32.png) [@Kairos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kairos)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/44 "2006-09-08T00:10:34Z")
I don’t know about the Thurber reference (though it is ringing some sort of bell), but I, like **JThunder** , was referring to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s _The Little Prince_ (excerpt with pictures [here](http://www.odaha.com/littleprince.php?f=English).) ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/45 "2006-09-08T00:56:02Z")
[QUOTE=Aunt Flow] I’m completely serious…I can’t see it. Maybe I’m looking too hard? [/QUOTE] No, you’re right. The others are looking at it backwards. The snake swallowed the sheep head-first, and there’s still a hoof sticking just barely out of the snake’s mouth. What **tomndebb** called a convenient dark patch where the ear would be, is actually just a dark patch on the snake. Which would be somewhere near the sheep’s butt, probably. Don’t snakes swallow their prey head-first, usually? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Rosewater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mr.Rosewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Rosewater)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/46 "2006-09-08T01:24:37Z")
It looks to me as if they have tied a rope around the snake’s neck (just behind his head), would this keep the snake from puking the sheep up? It doesn’t appear that the sheep would be able to pass through the loop of the rope. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/47 "2006-09-08T01:51:35Z")
Please excuse the slight hijack, but has anyone seen Jon Voight lately? ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/48 "2006-09-08T02:18:19Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] **Morgan** and **Kairos** , to which Thurber story or cartoon to you allude? ( **JThunder** ’s reference I got.) [/QUOTE] _blink_ I just looked at **Kairos** ’s link, and that’s the picture I had in my head when I posted. I have no idea why I thought that was Thurber, unless it’s because I’ve read a fair bit of Thurber but have only read _The Little Prince_ once. I’ll just … go hide in utter embarrassment, shall I? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/49 "2006-09-08T02:43:07Z")
[QUOTE=Morgyn] I’ve read a fair bit of Thurber but have only read _The Little Prince_ once. I’ll just … go hide in utter embarrassment, shall I? [/QUOTE] Not unless you have a photo of a fish with ears. ---
**Author:** ![xnylder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbce88/32.png) [@xnylder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xnylder)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/50 "2006-09-08T02:50:53Z")
[QUOTE=Morgyn] _blink_ I just looked at **Kairos** ’s link, and that’s the picture I had in my head when I posted. I have no idea why I thought that was Thurber, unless it’s because I’ve read a fair bit of Thurber but have only read _The Little Prince_ once. I’ll just … go hide in utter embarrassment, shall I? [/QUOTE] Don’t worry, all’s fair in love and surrealistic cartooning. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/51 "2006-09-08T03:01:42Z")
It did vomit the sheep after it was captured, but I can’t find the photograph now. What is the bore on one of the things? ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/52 "2006-09-08T03:07:50Z")
[QUOTE=Antigen] No, you’re right. The others are looking at it backwards. The snake swallowed the sheep head-first, and there’s still a hoof sticking just barely out of the snake’s mouth. What **tomndebb** called a convenient dark patch where the ear would be, is actually just a dark patch on the snake. Which would be somewhere near the sheep’s butt, probably. Don’t snakes swallow their prey head-first, usually? [/QUOTE] Usually, but not exclusively. I keep snakes as pets. I have one that eats ass first every time. Like humans, some like to approach dinner from the other side. ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/53 "2006-09-08T03:11:23Z")
[QUOTE=riker1384] It did vomit the sheep after it was captured, but I can’t find the photograph now. What is the bore on one of the things? [/QUOTE] A regurgitation after eating is not uncommon when large snakes eat large prey. 1. Pardon double post 2. There is a video of a snake swallowing and regurgitating a hippo on the web, I’ll look for a link. 3. Hi, python. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/54 "2006-09-08T03:27:13Z")
[QUOTE=brownie55] A regurgitation after eating is not uncommon when large snakes eat large prey. 1. Pardon double post 2. There is a video of a snake swallowing and regurgitating a hippo on the web, I’ll look for a link. 3. Hi, python. [/QUOTE] [OH MY FUCKING FUCK!!!](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6527966434248029824&q=snake+hippo) (warning, link starts video playing automatically, with sound. I don’t know how to do it otherwise.) It only shows the regurgitation part, though. And, it appears to be a tiny hippo, if that’s any consolation to the snake. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/55 "2006-09-08T08:37:30Z")
Can you imagine if it had eaten a donkey whole? The headline: “Python eats ass whole” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708/56 "2006-09-08T16:11:05Z")
[QUOTE=Antigen] No, you’re right. The others are looking at it backwards. The snake swallowed the sheep head-first, and there’s still a hoof sticking just barely out of the snake’s mouth. What **tomndebb** called a convenient dark patch where the ear would be, is actually just a dark patch on the snake. Which would be somewhere near the sheep’s butt, probably. [/QUOTE] I still don’t see it, but if there’s anyone whose word I trust, it’s **tomndebb**. And the story reminds of one from when I lived in the Bronx..this guy brought home a live chicken from the market for his boa constrictor and the snake got so excited he killed the guy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-eats-whole-sheep/371708.md?page=2)