While everyone knows it is a dog-eat-dog world, so to talk, an Australian snake species has taken the suggestion of cannibalism very actually and has been captured consuming a smaller, and really unfortunate, model of itself.
In a uncommon second caught on movie, Nick Stock, supervisor at Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s (AWC) Piccaninny Plains Wildlife Sanctuary in Far North Queensland, photographed a big black-headed python having fun with a sizeable meal of one other black-headed python. Despite the python’s regular behaviors of constricting prey fatally earlier than consuming, this smaller snake was certainly consumed whereas it was nonetheless alive.
Sadly for one in every of these animals, that is nonetheless a pure side of their habits.
“Fortunately for me but not-so-fortunately for the python being consumed, it took around 15 minutes from when I first witnessed the initial constriction to the python finishing its meal and returning to its burrow which was only about 10 feet away,” Stock said. “This gave me plenty of time to get a camera and document the event.”
Unlike many snakes that search out mammals, the non-venomous, constricting python (Aspidites melanocephalus) is thought to eat from the reptiles menu extra typically, and opportunistic cannibalism has been reported earlier than. As on this case, immature pythons are vulnerable to predation by giant adults. However, it is extraordinarily uncommon to witness such an occasion, not to mention seize it on digicam.
While taboo within the human species, cannibalism within the animal kingdom is widespread and extra widespread than most individuals assume.
“It was a surprise at first, but I feel really fortunate to witness such an event,” stated Stock. “I have previously witnessed black-headed pythons eating an Eastern brown snake and a yellow spotted monitor, however, this was the first time I witnessed a black-headed python eating another black-headed python.”
While not harmful to people, these pythons have been seen consuming giant reptiles resembling goannas and even taking up (and profitable) battles with venomous snakes.
“I’m not surprised that they would consume another python if the opportunity arose,” added Dr. Helena Stokes, AWC Wildlife Ecologist. “By consuming other individuals, they are also reducing competition for resources in the area.”
While this occasion technically occurred ‘in captivity,’ Piccaninny Plains Wildlife Sanctuary really covers 164,862 hectares (407,383 acres) of distant, numerous bushland within the middle of the Cape York Peninsula and is a crucial space for conservation tasks, biodiversity research and different wildlife analysis.
Source: Australian Wildlife Conservancy
