Here’s some good news: snakes rarely consume humans. However, there have been alarming reports, particularly in Indonesia, where several incidents over the last decade involved people being killed or swallowed by pythons. A notable case included a 45-year-old woman discovered fully clothed inside a 5-meter (16-foot) bloated python.

Nonvenomous snakes like pythons and boas typically use an ambush technique to capture prey. They grip their victims using backward-curved teeth and kill them by constricting their powerful bodies, which cuts off blood supply to vital organs, including the brain. This causes the prey to lose consciousness and die within mere minutes.

After immobilizing their prey, snakes swallow them whole, headfirst. Their unique skull structure allows them to consume animals significantly larger than their heads. For instance, the lower jaw is comprised of two halves connected by elastic ligaments, enabling the snake to stretch. Muscles in the digestive tract then aid in moving the prey to the stomach, where strong acids and enzymes break it down, allowing it to linger for days or even weeks.

The diet of a snake is closely linked to its size, ranging from insects, rodents, birds, and lizards, to monkeys, pigs, deer, and even crocodiles. Humans can pose a challenge due to their wider shoulder blades, which makes it difficult for snakes to constrict their jaws. Nevertheless, even small adults and children may fall victim to larger species.

Digestion of a human can take up to a month, including teeth and bones. Recent research has identified specific intestinal cells in pythons that effectively process substantial amounts of calcium and phosphorus from dissolved bone. However, snakes can’t digest keratin protein, so hair and nails remain intact. Additionally, clothing can complicate ingestion, leading to further challenges if a snake attempts to consume a human.

This article addresses a question posed by Southampton resident Lillian Hart: “What happens if I get eaten by a python?”

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