The goal of constriction is not to break bones; instead, pythons cut off blood flow and oxygen, leading to asphyxiation or cardiac arrest. When a python attacks, death usually occurs within minutes.

UC Professor Bruce Jayne poses with a Burmese python specimen with a 22-centimeter gape, right, compared to an even larger specimen with a 26-centimeter gape. Credit: Bruce Jayne UC Professor Bruce ...