The effect of relative prey size on the ingestion behavior of rodent-eating snakes

Six species of snakes from three families that represent diverse phyletic position and prey-capture techniques were fed mice of different sizes. The probability of the prey-capture technique’s being employed and of headfirst ingestion were determined by relative meal size, i.e., ingestion ratio. When dealing with relatively large prey, all constrictors and venomous species reliably located the head prior to ingestion.