All snakes are carnivorous, but they do not chew. They swallow their prey whole. They are specially designed with unique, flexible jaws that allow them to swallow prey larger in diameter than the snake itself. Since they consume such large meals, many snakes eat only occasionally.
Scientists studying the digestive systems of certain snakes, such as boa constrictors and pythons, have found some interesting design concepts. In these snakes the period of time between meals can be several weeks. It was found that during the long periods of fasting the lining, or mucosa, of the small intestine becomes atrophied, conserving the snake’s energy and resources.
The salivary glands found in snakes include the palatine, lingual, sublingual and labial gland. These glands help moisten the prey for swallowing. These glands lie on either side of the head and neck and lead to ducts in the modified maxillary teeth.
Directly inside the mouth of snakes is the buccal cavity. Then comes the long oesophagus which can cover more than half of the snake's body. Inside the oesophagus, are many folds which helps the food go down into the stomach by peristalsis.
The stomach is a j-shaped organ in which most of the digestion occurs in snakes. The cells of the stomach secrete digestive enzymes and gastric juices that breakdown proteins. The food then passes through the pyloric valve and into the small intestines.
The small intestines is similar to the human's intestine. It is also a long narrow coiled tube where absorbance of nutrients takes place. The small intestines is divided into three regions: the duodenum, the ileum, and jejunum. The liver produces bile, excretes digestive enzymes into the duodenum of the small intestines. Also, the pancreas, which produces insulin and glycogen as well, produces digestive enzymes such as lipases, proteases and carbohydrases and secretes them into the duodenum.
At the junction of the small intestines and large intestines is the caecum. The large intestines is the least muscular and most thin-walled structure of the snake digestive system. It passes into the cloacae chamber. This chamber is divided into a copradaeum for receiving feaces and a urodaeum for urine and products of the genital organs. The cloaca plays an important role in the reabsorption of water.
Links/Resources:
http://www.dandydesigns.org/id42.html
http://www.biologycorner.com/resources/anatomy_snake.jpg
http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/terry.derting/cva_atlases/Stephsnake/snakepage3.htm
http://animal.discovery.com/guides/reptiles/snakes/anatomy_03.html
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