# What kills animals when they're swallowed whole? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2000, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-animals-when-theyre-swallowed-whole/6835 "2000-02-04T05:27:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-animals-when-theyre-swallowed-whole/6835/1 "2000-02-04T05:27:00Z")
This is a little unpleasant but… We’ve all seen footage of birds or lizards or fish eating smaller animals without chewing them, i.e. swallowing them whole. How and when does something swallowed whole die? Does it asphyxiate? Is it burned to death by gastric juices (ick!)? On second thought, maybe I don’t want to know… ---
**Author:** ![APB9999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB9999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB9999)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-animals-when-theyre-swallowed-whole/6835/2 "2000-02-04T05:31:00Z")
Good question. I’m not sure, but I would guess either asphyxiation or crushing. The smooth muscle surrounding stomachs is pretty strong and could probably crush something like a mouse pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-animals-when-theyre-swallowed-whole/6835/3 "2000-02-04T05:35:00Z")
## I would assume being crushed would get it before asphyxiation did, but that’s just a WAG. _Eschew Obfuscation_ ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-animals-when-theyre-swallowed-whole/6835/4 "2000-02-04T06:00:00Z")
Asphyxiation by crushing. (Ever heard of a boa _constrictor_?) How does crushing kill? By preventing breathing. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-animals-when-theyre-swallowed-whole/6835/5 "2000-02-04T06:10:00Z")
I was refering to animals that are still alive when eaten. Boas kill their prey first then eat it. Actually, asphyxiation by _squeezing_ is more correct. Constricting snakes don’t break bones. ---
**Author:** ![Jorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@Jorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-animals-when-theyre-swallowed-whole/6835/6 "2000-02-04T06:54:00Z")
Depends. Rodents eaten by non-venomous snakes die from asphyxiation, probably helped along by shock. Krill eaten by whales no doubt die from gastric juices, as would live goldfish eaten by fraternity pledges. * * * _O le mea a tamaali’i fa’asala, a o le mea a tufanua fa’alumaina._ ---
**Author:** ![Nekosoft\_s\_Girlfriend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cab0a1/32.png) [@Nekosoft\_s\_Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nekosoft_s_Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-animals-when-theyre-swallowed-whole/6835/7 "2000-02-05T01:50:00Z")
What about drowning? If an animal is small enough to be swallowed whole, then the animal eating it would have enough gastric juices to drown the victim… ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-animals-when-theyre-swallowed-whole/6835/8 "2000-02-05T02:02:00Z")
Yeah, if a gnat gets in the wrong place, I don’t usually throw 'im a life ring. Luckily there aren’t gnats in many places around coastal [CA.US](http://CA.US). I don’t relish them. Ray (gnaturally) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-animals-when-theyre-swallowed-whole/6835/9 "2000-02-05T21:27:00Z")
“Hail Ants” , huh? My theory that all insects belong to a sinsiter, fascist-bent Gnatzi party is gaining momentum. :eek: 😛 * * * With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince. With science, you can turn a frog into a Ph.D, and you still have the frog you started with. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2000, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kills-animals-when-theyre-swallowed-whole/6835/10 "2000-02-06T00:16:00Z")
If I were swallowed whole, I imagine that I’d die of fear.