Mammoth-Sized Snake Attacks Porcupine and Realizes Its Grave Mistake Instantly

Boa constrictors are an easily recognizable snake by many and are one of the largest serpent species in the world. Although known for their trademark ability of squeezing their prey to death, boas are surprisingly popular animals that are often kept as pets.

The clip below shows us what happens when boas make the unfortunate decision to bite off more than they can chew. Make sure to check out the facts below to get a better understanding of the boa constrictor and what they should probably be hunting instead of porcupines.

See This Painful Mistake For Yourself!

How Do Boa Constrictors Hunt?

As carnivorous predators, boa constrictors mainly employ ambush tactics to snare their prey. Utilizing their stealthy nature and honed senses, they can lie in wait in many places, including disguised along the ground and hidden above within the trees.

They usually eat a mixture of small birds, mammals, and reptiles, with porcupines not usually being on the menu. The unlucky boa seen in the video below took an unwise chance to try something new, with uncomfortable results.

Once they’ve caught their target by surprise, they use their extremely powerful muscles to, as their name implies, constrict their prey which easily incapacitates most victims.

The Constrictor’s Slow Metabolism

The boa constrictor possesses a special adaptation in the form of a slow metabolism. This allows them to endure extended periods, sometimes months, without eating after having a substantial meal. Unlike animals with higher metabolic rates, boa constrictors can efficiently conserve energy and sustain themselves on fewer meals.

Although handy for long-term survival, this trait likely wouldn’t help with digesting an entire porcupine.

So That’s Why Porcupines Have Quills

The porcupine, a type of rodent, has evolved a very unique defense mechanism — a protective coat consisting of long, sharp quills. These quills not only deter predators from biting them but can also break off and become stuck in any would-be attackers. While not poisonous, being stuck with a porcupine’s keratin-based quills can prove to be quite painful and rather difficult to remove.

Usually, predators will attempt to kill a porcupine by dodging their quills and consuming them while avoiding eating any quills. However, since snakes swallow their prey whole, one can imagine the consequences of this kind of oversight!

While boas can be considered apex predators, that doesn’t mean they should try eating everything they see.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © KatKade/Shutterstock.com