Python Eats A Live Rabbit In Front Of A Class

[xpoint9]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/621241/python_eats_a_live_rabbit_in_front_of_a_class/
hope this is not a repost.

[hwoarang]

i dont know if i wanna watch this..

[MkmBandit]

oh damn

Way of life, I guess.

[infinite.chaoz]

All part of the food chain. Very interesting video.

[Talamasca]

We never had anything like that in my science class. We just dissected frogs.

[BelligerentDog]

I don't see why people would be outraged by that, it's what snakes do. They eat live animals. If you have a snake, you have to feed it live animals, the teacher should not have had to apologise for that. We used to watch National Geographic videos with African tribal breasts and lions eating gazelles, how is that not the same thing?

[Hanniganite]

Poor bunny...

[boyoflondon]

Man ... I would never be able to do feed a rabbit to a python and then watch it ... >:(

[Cacti]

Awwww that was awful to watch. I feel so bad for that bunny.

[shabby]

Student suffers mental anguish from this incident, sues school for millions...

[atforum]

stupid prof and students. Yes it is a part of life if they are living in their natural habitat.

[danfromwaterloo]

The only thing wrong with this, that I can see, is maybe forcing kids to watch this. But if the kids had the option to opt out of seeing it, this is perfectly natural AND educational.

[P__S__2]

I don't see why people would be outraged by that, it's what snakes do. They eat live animals. If you have a snake, you have to feed it live animals, the teacher should not have had to apologise for that. We used to watch National Geographic videos with African tribal breasts and lions eating gazelles, how is that not the same thing?

I agree with you, I don't understand why the teacher was forced to apologize.

[deep]

I agree with Dog and Dan. It's as natural as feeding a rabbit a "live" carrot, and if the kids were not forced to watch (they seemed quite interested by the display) then where is the problem?

The only downside was that it was kind of canned hunt....they should have at least let the rabbit go in the classroom and had the snake hunt it down :)

[atforum]

I don't see why people would be outraged by that, it's what snakes do. They eat live animals. If you have a snake, you have to feed it live animals, the teacher should not have had to apologise for that. We used to watch National Geographic videos with African tribal breasts and lions eating gazelles, how is that not the same thing?

Snakes do that in their natural habitat not in zoos. They dont give live cattle to the tigers in zoos for amusement. NG videos them in their natural habitat.

A bad anology, but this is what I get :D In a warzone the soldiers will have right to shoot at people who steal and they can even kill them in the process. They cant do it inside a peaceful country. They still need to capture them but killing them is unacceptable. Well I guess you understand the point :)

[hyperion]

How does that educate students in anything? It's more entertainment than education, and pretty poor at that too.

[Paranoidandroid]

How does that educate students in anything? It's more entertainment than education, and pretty poor at that too.
Agreed. The obnoxious teenagers either laugh or 'awwwww' about it, so it serves them no educational purpose.

Although it was (somewhat) natural, the students were the ones who made this so disturbing.

[torontoraptor]

Just wondering, do snakes not eat dead things?

Feel bad for the rabbit. Never had a chance. I know this sort of thing happens in nature everyday but the rabbit would have at least had a chance to get away.

[perplexed_one]

poor bunny, he didnt have a chance. if he wanted the class to see something he should of showed them a video of the hunt in their natural habitat.

[Shaner]

Snakes do that in their natural habitat not in zoos. They dont give live cattle to the tigers in zoos for amusement. NG videos them in their natural habitat.

A bad anology, but this is what I get :D In a warzone the soldiers will have right to shoot at people who steal and they can even kill them in the process. They cant do it inside a peaceful country. They still need to capture them but killing them is unacceptable. Well I guess you understand the point :)

Your wrong. No, tigers and lions are not thrown live animals to hunt and kill. They are thrown dead pieces of meat and they enjoy that just as much, if not better than having to hunt and kill it themselves. Snakes are different and won't eat something that is already dead. Whether in captivity or the wild, snakes are fed live animals.

[deep]

Your wrong. No, tigers and lions are not thrown live animals to hunt and kill. They are thrown dead pieces of meat and they enjoy that just as much, if not better than having to hunt and kill it themselves. Snakes are different and won't eat something that is already dead. Whether in captivity or the wild, snakes are fed live animals.
Shaner is right, and your analogy to war-time stealing made my brain hurt, atforum.

[Piston Honda]

Whoa that python knew jiu jiutsu!

[mathewvc]

Snakes are different and won't eat something that is already dead. Whether in captivity or the wild, snakes are fed live animals.

incorrect....
snakes can be fed thawed frozen animals who are already dead. this is a very common way of feeding snakes in captivity and much safer than feeding live.

[mattpiloto]

Mmm...bunny...

[sammy]

i could only watch the start of the video. it was too disturbing to watch the guy hold down the rabbit for the snake. the poor rabbit was really moving it's legs to get away but could since the guy held it against the floor. that's not natural - since when does someone hold down the prey for the snake in its natural habitat. disgusting.

[JimG]

that's not natural - since when does someone hold down the prey for the snake in its natural habitat. disgusting.

I agree. What did the students learn from that that they couldn't watch in a nature documentary?

[nickia]

i could only watch the start of the video. it was too disturbing to watch the guy hold down the rabbit for the snake. the poor rabbit was really moving it's legs to get away but could since the guy held it against the floor. that's not natural - since when does someone hold down the prey for the snake in its natural habitat. disgusting.

I know eh. The way that rabbit was trying to get away reminds me of my cat when i try to force him to smile an orange.:evil:

[Spor 13]

Why a rabbit? I'm sure a rat would have served the same purpose...

That is pretty disturbing especially if they were forced to watch it live. Watching a video of something getting hunted down and eaten is one thing, but to have it in front of you like that would get into some students' minds.

[B40]

Why a rabbit? I'm sure a rat would have served the same purpose...

That is pretty disturbing especially if they were forced to watch it live. Watching a video of something getting hunted down and eaten is one thing, but to have it in front of you like that would get into some students' minds.

Can you find a rat the size of a rabbit?

This is probably what he was demonstrating.. from wiki

Pythons kill their prey by the process of constriction, whereby they do not grasp the prey animal in their teeth to restrain it. Only hastily wrapping a number of coils around the body of the prey. Then, by applying sufficient pressure to prevent the prey from being able to inhale, they ultimately cause it to succumb to asphyxia. The prey animal might also suffer some restriction to circulation during constriction, particularly where the snake's coils are wrapped around the animal's neck, but this is not usually fatal as death typically occurs much sooner due to asphyxiation.

Pythons do not, as popularly believed, crush or squeeze their prey to death, and when constricting normal sized prey, the snake will almost certainly never apply enough pressure to break bones.

Larger pythons will usually eat something about the size of a house cat, but larger food items are not unknown (some large Asian species have been known to take down adult Deer, and the African Rock Python has been documented preying upon Gazelle). Pythons swallow their prey whole, and take several days or even weeks to fully digest it. Despite their intimidating size and muscular power, they are generally not dangerous to humans.

[aidzhsiah]

I agree. What did the students learn from that that they couldn't watch in a nature documentary?

But the way he did it, at least everyone in the class was paying attention. Whether it was out of entertainment, disgust or whatever, it allowed the students to witness a lesson firsthand.

I remember back when I was in high school, the showing of a documentary in class almost always meant a section of the class falling asleep or just doing something else while the lights were dimmed.

It could have probably been handled a little better but I do think a 'live' experience is always worth more than endless textbooks or videos.

[torontoraptor]

But the way he did it, at least everyone in the class was paying attention. Whether it was out of entertainment, disgust or whatever, it allowed the students to witness a lesson firsthand.

I remember back when I was in high school, the showing of a documentary in class almost always meant a section of the class falling asleep or just doing something else while the lights were dimmed.

It could have probably been handled a little better but I do think a 'live' experience is always worth more than endless textbooks or videos.

I don't understand why they need to see it first hand though? What good is it going to do? I know that lions capture and rip open the flesh of deer in the wild but do I need to see it first hand to know that it happens?

Would you learn anything more from seeing it in person as opposed to on tv?

And if he's trying to recreate something that happens in nature, he isn't doing a very good job as rabbits aren't just handed to pythons on a silver platter to eat.

[nalababe]

Sorry...not impressed.

My degree is in biology and I believe that children/teens should be aware of the world around them, but this was not necessary...this was not nature, this done to be cool in front of the students. Python's eat once every few weeks....likely they held off feeding to ensure that the show was impressive....

No life lesson was learned here. The kids are not better off today seeing that...sorry dwarf bunnies don't have pythons are predators. Fortunately for the bunny, after the attack he probably had a heart attack (mechanism to prevent prolonged pain and suffering) so he did not suffer too long.

I am very very liberal, believe strongly in science... and would suspend that teacher in a second!

[porphyra]

I am very very liberal, believe strongly in science... and would suspend that teacher in a second!

I think you just contradicted yourself there. That was perfectly fine. And what is more distrubing is someone's comment about why a "rat" wasn't used?

So since when do we decide which life is more precious. Please check your loaded morals at home.

[deep]

Why a rabbit? I'm sure a rat would have served the same purpose...
Yes, as would a cat, small dog, or human baby. What makes you think animal X is ok, while animal Y is verboten? Garbage thinking.

This whole "you could have seen it on TV" comment irks as well. You can "experience" anything remotely, I suppose. Maybe just read a detailed account of a python eating a rabbit, or perhaps a clever cave drawing would have sufficed. Sorry, but graphic demonstrations of simple principles are a good thing, in my book. (And yes, I have limits, too....I have my own moral baggage to drag around, I just don't need a Uhaul like some people)