Havana, Cuba. - Experts of the Dickinson College in Pennsylvania State University, United States, have proved that boas constrictors know how long they need to crush their preys, because they have mechanisms to feel their physical signs, reported PL news agency.

The reptiles have a complex tactile ability that enables them to kill with a precision unknown so far, because they stop crushing their preys as soon as their hearts cease to beat.

The skill was discovered through an experiment that consisted of giving the snakes dead rats with an artificial heart operated by remote control. They also planted sensors in the dead bodies to gauge the pressure exerted by the snakes.

The scientists found the results amazing, for the boas squeezed as long as they felt the heartbeats of the rodents. This proves that those reptiles can perform complex functions, just as other vertebrates do.

Their sense of tact even suggests that they can even carry out actions so far ignored.

"For instance, they could use this tactile ability to coordinate complex movements that are only associated to the motion of limbless animals", indicated the leader of the study, Scott Boback. By: Radio Rebelde News Department