How does an anaconda get it's food?

Answers:
My anaconda will show u

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it creeps up on it while its sleeping and swallows it whole

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it sufficates them.. like squeezing it. and then swallows it whole

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see i the aniaml planet

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it ambushes it usually from water

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ambush/stealth hunting style then strikes at the prey and coiling around its chest area to constrict or stop the preys ability to breath then once prey is dead it swallows prey item whole head first usually.

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It consricics(sqeezes) it prey and swallows it.

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It is thought that most snakes are 'oppertunistic' hunters. Meaning that although they will mostly take live prey, if they run across something that is freshly dead, they will eat it as well. When an anaconda (or any other constrictor) spots a meal, it will 'stalk' it. Similiar to the way you see a kitten 'stalk' a piece of string. The snake be very still and slowly (actually you can hardly notice the movement) creep closer. When the snake feels that the moment is right, it will STRIKE. It bites the prey item, and then rapidly 'throw coils' over and around it. Throwing coils is pretty much making loops out of its body and wrapping around the animal. It will keep its bite locked in to hold the prey still.

It is always said that constrictors 'smother' their prey. But with recent testing of the 'squeeze' pressure of snakes, it has come to be realised that it is a combination of a few factors that actually kill the prey. Suffocation, actually crushing it, and cutting off blood flow to the brain (causing something similiar to a stroke or anuryism).

Once the snake is sure that an animal is dead, It will release its grip and bite, and begin to position itself to swallow the food.

Snakes generally always eat from the head first, that way the legs will fold flatter against the body, and that makes for an easyier swallow.

Snakes have extremely flexible skin, and a lower jaw that is jointed in the center, as well as curved teeth (angled toward the back of the mouth). The snakes mouth is capable of opening almost 180 degrees. So the snake will begin to swallow the foods head, and then it disjoints its lower jaw and begins to 'walk' the prey into its throat.

There are several good programs on Discovery, Animal Planet, etc that show this. You can also find videos of snakes eating on YouTube, Google Video, etc.