Editing Boidae (section)

==Feeding==
Prey is killed by [[constriction]]; after an animal has been grasped to restrain it, a number of coils are hastily wrapped around it. Then, by applying and maintaining sufficient pressure, the snake prevents its prey from inhaling, so that it eventually succumbs to [[asphyxia]]tion. Recently, the pressures produced during constriction have been suggested as the cause of cardiac arrest by interfering with blood flow, but this hypothesis has not yet been confirmed.

Larger specimens usually eat animals about the size of a [[Cat|domestic cat]], but larger food items are not unknown: the diet of the green anaconda (''[[Eunectes murinus]]'') is known to include subadult [[tapir]]s. Prey is swallowed whole, and may take several days or even weeks to fully digest. Despite their intimidating size and muscular power, they are generally not dangerous to humans.

Contrary to popular belief, even the larger species do not crush their prey to death; in fact, prey is not even noticeably deformed before it is swallowed. The speed with which the coils are applied is impressive and the force they exert may be significant, but death is caused by suffocation, with the victim not being able to move its ribs to breathe while it is being constricted.<ref name="Meh87">{{cite book |author=Mehrtens JM |year=1987 |title=Living Snakes of the World in Color |location=New York |publisher=Sterling Publishers |isbn=0-8069-6460-X |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/livingsnakesofwo00mehr }}{{page needed|date=January 2011}}</ref><ref name="Sti74">{{cite book |author=Stidworthy J |year=1974 |title=Snakes of the World |publisher=Grosset & Dunlap |isbn=0-448-11856-4}}</ref><ref name="Car63">{{cite book |last=Carr |first=Archie Fairly |year=1963 |title=The Reptiles |url=https://archive.org/details/reptiles00carr |url-access=registration |series=Life Nature Library |publisher=Time |location=New York |lccn=63012781}}{{page needed|date=January 2011}}</ref>