Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2019 10:01:27 GMT 5
I think solving constrictor vs varanid at parity is pretty simple. Personally, I feel that its solved for the most part, boas and reticulated pythons tend to predate on varanids. However, the real question comes when we talk about the komodo clade which have powerful neck muscles and recurved teeth allowing them to do much more damage compared to their varanid brethren (croc monitor, lace monitor, prehistoric/present form komodo, varanus sivalensis, megalania). In austraila, lace monitors and carpet pythons coexist and get to similar sizes and if we find the dominant species, we find the winner of the battles.
So I'm talking about matches like
Crocodile monitor vs austrailian olive python
Reticulated python/green anaconda vs komodo dragon
Bluffs downs python/titanoboa vs megalania
lace monitor vs carpet python (which happens all the time)
A few caveats:
Lace monitors are some of the most formidable monitors pound for pound especially since they are very close relatives with the komodo while carpet pythons are rather average for pythons.
The interactions between monitor and python that I find are never at weight parity, its length parity at best so the monitor is usually larger.
Nevertheless, I don't think that battles between a constrictor and a komodo-esque varanid can be solved anytime soon because the record is exceedingly balanced just as if not more so than records of lion vs tiger.
Records of the lace monitor beating the carpet python
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwKpiUQ7Z4w&t=11s
(Length parity, larger goanna, python was in unknown condition, seemed kinda injured)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-SAOpWA-2Q
(could be a case of scavenging)
"In the other cases, the transmitters had characteristic
bite marks when recovered: one from lace monitors
Varanus varius and seven from canids. In at least two
of the seven latter cases, it is clear that the snakes were
killed by foxes when they left the shelter of forested
gullies to cross open orchard areas. This is likely to
have occurred in all seven cases. Also, one of our
brooding female pythons was attacked by a large lace
monitor that consumed 12 of her 18 eggs; the female
deserted the remaining six eggs less than a day after
this predation event."
(Lace monitors can grow to 14 kg, one python was weakened brooding eggs and the pythons in this study were small averaging 3 kg with the largest as 7)
Cases of pythons beating lace monitors
www.gympietimes.com.au/news/snake-battles-giant-goanna-on-fraser-island/3331397/
(Length parity so larger goanna, but ambush or scavenging?)
ibb.co/c679Vsw
(much smaller carpet python kills lace monitor in self defense i guess, no ambush since its in the middle of the road)
ibb.co/GHXs6pb
(smaller python preys on larger lace monitor, could be an ambush since the python could've dropped on the lizard)
ibb.co/9vX8fZJ
(they say its a young lace monitor, looks to be the same size as python, probably an ambush as well)
Overall 4-4 even for the lace monitor and python. Nevertheless, there were extenuating circumstances on all 8 encounters except for the middle of the road fight between the lace monitor and carpet python although that may have been a fluke. I'd actually give the carpet python a slight edge in this encounter because the lace monitor tends to pick on smaller carpet pythons while the carpet pythons beat larger lace monitors. Nevertheless, both could easily kill each other. A constrictor could quickly strike the monitor and constrict it, or quickly coil around the monitor while the monitor bites the head. A komodo like monitor can use its powerful neck muscles and deadly teeth to bite and shake the snake, opening up lacerations and using the torque generated by the neck to break the snake's back.
Thus, I'd give a constrictor a 6-7/10 advantage over a komodo-like opponent.
So I'm talking about matches like
Crocodile monitor vs austrailian olive python
Reticulated python/green anaconda vs komodo dragon
Bluffs downs python/titanoboa vs megalania
lace monitor vs carpet python (which happens all the time)
A few caveats:
Lace monitors are some of the most formidable monitors pound for pound especially since they are very close relatives with the komodo while carpet pythons are rather average for pythons.
The interactions between monitor and python that I find are never at weight parity, its length parity at best so the monitor is usually larger.
Nevertheless, I don't think that battles between a constrictor and a komodo-esque varanid can be solved anytime soon because the record is exceedingly balanced just as if not more so than records of lion vs tiger.
Records of the lace monitor beating the carpet python
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwKpiUQ7Z4w&t=11s
(Length parity, larger goanna, python was in unknown condition, seemed kinda injured)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-SAOpWA-2Q
(could be a case of scavenging)
"In the other cases, the transmitters had characteristic
bite marks when recovered: one from lace monitors
Varanus varius and seven from canids. In at least two
of the seven latter cases, it is clear that the snakes were
killed by foxes when they left the shelter of forested
gullies to cross open orchard areas. This is likely to
have occurred in all seven cases. Also, one of our
brooding female pythons was attacked by a large lace
monitor that consumed 12 of her 18 eggs; the female
deserted the remaining six eggs less than a day after
this predation event."
(Lace monitors can grow to 14 kg, one python was weakened brooding eggs and the pythons in this study were small averaging 3 kg with the largest as 7)
Cases of pythons beating lace monitors
www.gympietimes.com.au/news/snake-battles-giant-goanna-on-fraser-island/3331397/
(Length parity so larger goanna, but ambush or scavenging?)
ibb.co/c679Vsw
(much smaller carpet python kills lace monitor in self defense i guess, no ambush since its in the middle of the road)
ibb.co/GHXs6pb
(smaller python preys on larger lace monitor, could be an ambush since the python could've dropped on the lizard)
ibb.co/9vX8fZJ
(they say its a young lace monitor, looks to be the same size as python, probably an ambush as well)
Overall 4-4 even for the lace monitor and python. Nevertheless, there were extenuating circumstances on all 8 encounters except for the middle of the road fight between the lace monitor and carpet python although that may have been a fluke. I'd actually give the carpet python a slight edge in this encounter because the lace monitor tends to pick on smaller carpet pythons while the carpet pythons beat larger lace monitors. Nevertheless, both could easily kill each other. A constrictor could quickly strike the monitor and constrict it, or quickly coil around the monitor while the monitor bites the head. A komodo like monitor can use its powerful neck muscles and deadly teeth to bite and shake the snake, opening up lacerations and using the torque generated by the neck to break the snake's back.
Thus, I'd give a constrictor a 6-7/10 advantage over a komodo-like opponent.
