The Burmese python is well adapted to its environment and, as an apex predator, does not require many defensive mechanisms. Their color, produced by pigment deposited on the skin or by the differential diffraction of light, allows them to easily camouflage themselves in their habitat, allowing them to hide and attack prey. This also helps them hide from human hunters. They have a strong sense of smell and gather information from their surroundings by wagging their tongue to obtain gas from the air. They then rub their tongue over the vomeronasal organ (VNO), or Jacobson's organ, which judges smell and gives them a sense of their surroundings. Their other sense organ, known as the pit organ, is extremely sensitive to temperature. This organ is located directly under the scales, above the upper lips. These organs help them locate warm-blooded prey on nights when the temperature is relatively cool (Sartore, 2013) Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Burmese python is able to regulate its metabolic rate and the characteristics of its internal anatomy to meet its physiological needs more effectively than almost any other animal. One of the Burmese python's most notable abilities is the ability to swallow and digest extraordinarily large prey despite their bilateral tubular structure. They use their backward-pointing teeth to grab prey and wrap it around their body, killing by constriction. This process involves much more than unhinging the jaw and expanding the mouth. To consume large prey, such as a chicken, the Burmese python undergoes "physiological remodeling". Their metabolic rate can increase up to 15 times the resting rate needed to digest a massive meal. This is accompanied by a 35-40% increase in the mass of the liver, heart, kidneys and small intestine in just one to two days. The heart's ventricular mass increases by about 45%, which allows the heart to pump 50% more blood per beat than when at rest. Once digestion is complete, the process reverses. The metabolic rate and organs that have temporarily doubled in size return to their normal state. After consuming prey, the Burmese python fasts, often for weeks or months at a time (Avery, 2013). Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayThe Burmese python's ability to expand its organs and speed up its metabolism to consume large prey can be traced to its unusually rapid evolution and adaptation of its specialized genes. Scientists suggest that gaining a deeper understanding of how Burmese pythons accomplish such feats could hold vital clues to developing treatments for many human diseases.