Do snakes digestive systems atrophy during a fast?

[EyeLashViper]

:?: Hey everybody,
I was doing my normal studies on snakes and I came across some information that a snakes digestive system can atrophy durin an extended fast, and that it could be harmful to the snake.Is this true? I have three Ball Pythons now (Trinity,Cypher and Apok) and only Cypher appears to be into a winter fast.I was just curious about this atrophy question because I am a stone worry wart about my snakes and I was concerned. :shock: :roll:

I would appreciate any input on this question.

EyeLashViper

[RPlank]

I found a very in depth scientific paper once on the digestive process of Burms. The short version is yes, the digestive tract DOES atrophy as a normal part of the after-digestive process. Basically, it all shrinks down, and when the snake eats, much of the energy taken from the prey item is used to rebuild/restart the digestive tract. I'll see if I can find that link and post it.

[Marla]

Good question! Thanks for asking it.

[RPlank]

Here it is....scroll down to the materials and methods section, and start reading there.
Link

[Ironhead]

Randy.....Wow!! My brain is not awake enough to comprehend any of that. :lol:

This is what I found on a site....Deffinetly not anything like you just posted. haha

Recent studies by physiologists Steven Secor and Jared Diamond have shown that some snakes, including rattlesnakes and pythons, conserve energy in other ways beyond thermoregulation. Some snakes that feed infrequently and on large meals essentially turn their gut tissues off when in a non-feeding state. This means that they allow the cells lining their gut to atrophy, stop producing enzymes, and wait until food is present in the gut before becoming active again. During this period of "upregulation" or "gut refurbishing", resting metabolic rates can skyrocket to seven times as great as they were previous to feeding (Secor et al.1994; Secor and Diamond 1995). This remarkable discovery has numerous implications for snake biology, and it is of great interest to know how many species shut down the gut between meals. Certainly it would be expected in species like cottonmouths that often live under extremely variable conditions of resource availability.

[RPlank]

Same study....you just put the results in shorthand english!