--- title: Boa Constrictors Suffocation Prey: How These Snakes Attack description: Boa constrictors may actually stop blood flow by cutting off the flow of oxygen and blood through the body's circulatory system. canonical: https://time.com/3969783/boa-constrictors-prey/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-23T17:40:14.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:26.513Z article:section: Science og:title: The Surprising Way Boa Constrictors Really Kill Their Prey og:description: Boa constrictors may actually stop blood flow by cutting off the flow of oxygen and blood through the body's circulatory system. og:url: https://time.com/3969783/boa-constrictors-prey/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt66afa8aa7212b5bf/69885c2be53abaceb84debc4/boa-constrictor.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2579 og:image:height: 1451 og:image:alt: boa constrictor og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Surprising Way Boa Constrictors Really Kill Their Prey twitter:description: Boa constrictors may actually stop blood flow by cutting off the flow of oxygen and blood through the body's circulatory system. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt66afa8aa7212b5bf/69885c2be53abaceb84debc4/boa-constrictor.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Surprising Way Boa Constrictors Really Kill Their Prey > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. 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It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Wildfires, Beetles and Climate Change [Watch (HLS stream): Wildfires, Beetles and Climate Change](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/wYhUFMcF.m3u8) (4:46)  _Published 2009-09-14. In this Climate Central report, Dr. Susan Prichard explains how tree-killing bark beetles flourish in warmer temperatures, leading to severe wildfires_  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jul 23, 2015 5:40 PM UTC  Jiboia - (Boa constrictor) Jiboia - (Boa constrictor) Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jul 23, 2015 5:40 PM UTC For decades, scientists thought that boa constrictors suffocated their victims to death by cutting off oxygen. Now, new [research](http://jeb.biologists.org/content/218/14/2279.abstract) suggests that the snake species may actually kill their prey primarily by cutting off the flow of blood through the body’s circulatory system. Researchers allowed boa constrictors to attack rats while measuring how the prey’s body responded, including taking blood pressure and heart rate measurements. The study, published in the _Journal of Experimental Biology,_ suggests that the snake’s grip cuts off circulation almost immediately. The lack of blood flow causes organs like the liver, brain and heart to stop functioning, causing death. These results don’t mean that prey doesn’t also suffocate, but the loss of blood flow throughout the body kills more quickly than the inability to breathe. “Rather than suffocation, circulatory arrest may be the most proximate cause of death during snake constriction,” the researchers wrote. Researchers performed the experiment on 24 lab rats that were given anesthesia prior to the test to reduce suffering. Scientists [told the BBC](http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/33637880) that the research could provide insight on how to treat human crush injuries. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3969783/boa-constrictors-prey/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3969783/boa-constrictors-prey/"},"headline":"The Surprising Way Boa Constrictors Really Kill Their Prey","datePublished":"2015-07-23T17:40:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:58:26.513Z","description":"It's not what we thought","url":"https://time.com/3969783/boa-constrictors-prey/","keywords":["animals"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt66afa8aa7212b5bf/69885c2be53abaceb84debc4/boa-constrictor.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt66afa8aa7212b5bf/69885c2be53abaceb84debc4/boa-constrictor.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"boa constrictor","caption":"boa constrictor","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/animals/","name":"animals"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3969783/boa-constrictors-prey/","name":"The Surprising Way Boa Constrictors Really Kill Their Prey"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Wildfires, Beetles and Climate Change","description":"In this Climate Central report, Dr. Susan Prichard explains how tree-killing bark beetles flourish in warmer temperatures, leading to severe wildfires","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/wYhUFMcF/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2009-09-14T03:15:02.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/wYhUFMcF.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3969783/boa-constrictors-prey/","duration":"PT4M46S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3969783/boa-constrictors-prey/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```