CHAPDISC: DH1, The Dark Lord Ascending

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 176021

---  Meliss9900 at ... wrote:
>
> 
> bboyminn at ... writes:
> 
> This  somewhat goes against known Snake Lore. Snake 
> never try to eat anything  they can't swallow in one
> gulp. They usually swallow a mouse or a frog  whole, 
> and slink of under a bush for a nap while the food 
> digests.  I simply don't see Nagini, no matter how 
> big she is, swallowing a whole person. By extension,
> that implies that she is biting off chunks  and 
> eating them the way a wolf or lion would. I think 
> that is unusual.  
> 
> 
> *****************
>  
> Well depends on the size of the snake and the size 
>of the person. Both Anacondas and Reticulated Pythons
> have been documented taking down and  swallowing 
> adult deer.  Snakes don't have the physical ability 
> to "bite off  chunks" (wrong type of teeth) however 
> their jaws unhinge and can swing open  a full 180 
> degrees so its not an impossibility that she could
> have swallowed Charity if  she were a petite person. 
>  
> And to put this slightly back on topic. I'd bet on
> Nagini being a python.
>  
> Melissa

bboyminn:

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I agree with 
everything in your first paragraph and that is the
very point I was making. While not impossible for
a monstrous sized python or anaconda to swallow
a person, I think it would be extremely rare. An
anaconda is more likely to tackle something that
puts up less of a fight, because, being cold blooded,
snakes don't really have energy to spare.

So, what I was hinting at, is that Nagini is not
any type of normal snake. Which bring us to your
last paragraph which I disagree with. Nagini can't 
be a python because she is venomous; she's a 
poisonous snake.

We've discussed this before and come to the 
conclusion that the only real world snake that comes
close is a South American snake, whose name I can't
remember. This snake is poisonous, physically
powerful, and has the right type of venom. What was
that snake's name though?????

Likely, Nagini is a purely fictional snake, a blend
of broad and general snake knowledge smooshed 
together into a composite snake, or perhaps we could
assume some type of magical snake unknown to muggles. 

Keep in mind, that while there are hints of Nagini's
size, she can't weigh 100 to 200 pounds or more 
because Voldemort carries her around. Of course,
magic could somehow come into play there, but in
general, her size is contained by some reasonable
limits. 

For what it's worth.

Steve/bboyminn