Once a snake is ready to eat its prey, it will open its mouth wide and begin to move its lower jaw over the prey. Its backward-curving teeth will grip the animal so that it can easily pull the animal further into its mouth. During this process, the snake will drench its prey in saliva and eventually draw the entire animal into its esophagus.

From here, the snake will use its muscles to crush the prey while pushing it deeper into its digestive tract. It is here that it will be broken down for nutrients. Capturing and eating live prey in this manner can be extremely dangerous for the snake. This is why some have developed the ability to produce venom. This venom will subdue or kill the prey so that the snake has a safer and easier time while eating. This venom is injected by hollow teeth at the front of a snake’s mouth called fangs. These fangs are connected to a special venom duct that runs from the back of the roof of their mouth to the tip of the fangs.