A goanna was filmed getting the better of a highly venomous brown snake out the front of a home in White Peak, Western Australia, on Sunday, February 5.
Video recorded by Richard McLellan shows the sand goanna grab the snake by its head and slam it to the ground.
McLennan is a working ecologist and told Storyful that this was a very rare interaction.
“Both [reptiles] are relatively common species in this part of Australia, but this interaction has rarely been seen, and probably never before filmed. [Brown snake’s] venom is a very potent neurotoxin, life-threatening to humans and to lizards like this [Goanna]. The fight could easily have gone the other way.” McLennan said.
McLennan told Storyful that the goanna eventually killed and ate the snake.
“The [goanna ] won in this instance, and immediately swallowed the snake whole –– headfirst down into its stomach. Both animals are juveniles, and it was a wonder to see the lizard manage to swallow the whole snake in one long effort.”
“This all unfolded just as my wife and I were getting a cup of coffee after sitting just where the action took place a couple of minutes earlier.” Credit: Richard McLellan via Storyful
