43.2K
EMFirstly, yes that is (or was) a rat 🐭. I buy them frozen in large packs which I then leave on the counter for a few hours to thaw before feeding to my snakes. The rodents don’t come back to life. Snakes have to eat, and this is the food that is nutritious for them. I don’t participate in live feedings unless it’s absolutely necessary. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…
So THAT fleshy thing that opens and closes is a snakes glottis - a fascinating and vital part of its anatomy, located at the back of its tongue. It acts as the opening to the trachea (the snakes windpipe), allowing the snake to breathe. Unlike humans, whose glottis remains in a fixed position, a snake’s glottis is highly mobile and can extend outward, especially when the snake is consuming large prey. The glottis ensures that the snake can continue breathing even when its mouth is entirely occupied with swallowing food. Additionally, the glottis is equipped with a small, valve-like structure that can produce a hissing sound by forcing air through it, serving as a defense mechanism. 👅 🫁
@emzoticofficial
