Elapids

[andynic07]

Can someone tell me if once an elapid snake bites live prey does it know how long to wait before the prey dies and if so how does it know.

 

[saximus]

It depends what species you are talking about. Black snakes can take up to a couple of minutes and tais will have killed it before it hits the ground

 

[andynic07]

The reason I asked was because I saw a taipan strike a live rat and the rat seemed to run around for quite some time before it died. The rat kept going close to taipan and the taipan didn't strike and I was wondering why until the rat eventually started to wobble then fell over and died. It was this point that I saw a small scratch on the tail of the rat. The snake just sat patiently until the rat died and did not move for a minute or so after it was dead and then went looking for it and ate it. Is this normal/usual behaviour for elapids or taipans?

 

[Tesla]

Yes. They do it to lower the risk of them being injured by their prey.

It's not a big deal for a snake if they bite their prey and let it wonder around because they will follow the scent trail.

 

[Dendrobates]

Black snakes and tigers will usually bite and just hold onto the prey until it is dead (usually the reason they have so many scars on them), browns usually hold onto the prey as well but often coil around the prey like a python does to hold the prey item still until it dies. Young taipans also tend to bite and hold (because the prey they eat doesn't fight back), however adult taipans hit and release very quickly and then follow the food around until it is completely dead...it can actually take a lot longer for the food to die than one would expect.

 

[andynic07]

Black snakes and tigers will usually bite and just hold onto the prey until it is dead (usually the reason they have so many scars on them), browns usually hold onto the prey as well but often coil around the prey like a python does to hold the prey item still until it dies. Young taipans also tend to bite and hold (because the prey they eat doesn't fight back), however adult taipans hit and release very quickly and then follow the food around until it is completely dead...it can actually take a lot longer for the food to die than one would expect.

Thanks for that, I was interested in how elapids kill and eat prey, I wasn't aware there was different methods.