Quote Originally Posted by adamanteus View Post
Maybe not relevent.... but what springs to my mind is certain snakes (such as Pituophis) which are known constrict their prey underground (in burrows) by pressing the animal against the side of it's tunnel. Obviously Pituophis are pretty successful constrictors above ground too.
Which of the North American snakes was it that would often killed rodents through the sheer force of the strike? Could be a myth, but some species or genus has a reputation for doing that. Pituophis? Coluber?