Eaten Alive

Bobbleton

Explorer
Mar 12, 2004
466
46
NJ
Cool thing I saw the other day. The pictures aren't so great, but I didn't want to risk disturbing the behavior just to get better shots. Only common species, but its something you don't see everyday. Bear in mind . . . the victim was alive and fighting the ENTIRE time.

As found:
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Here's where the bufotoxin started frothing a bit:
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Undeterred
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and victorious
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Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,180
Great find! How does that make you feel when you love both of those creatures? Being tugged from both sides I guess.

Guy
 

Bobbleton

Explorer
Mar 12, 2004
466
46
NJ
Great find! How does that make you feel when you love both of those creatures? Being tugged from both sides I guess.

Guy

Doesn't bother me. Things must die for others to live. If a big frog was eating the snake it'd be no different.
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
i used to have a pet hognose that occasionally ate the toads backwards like this garter snake is doing.I hated it when she did that because you could hear the toad scream till she got the head in.They go down much easier head first.Hognose will eat nothing but toads where garter are generalists.they eat anything they can catch and swallow.
Al
 

glowordz

Explorer
Jan 19, 2009
585
8
SC
www.gloriarepp.com
i used to have a pet hognose that occasionally ate the toads backwards like this garter snake is doing.I hated it when she did that because you could hear the toad scream till she got the head in.They go down much easier head first.Hognose will eat nothing but toads where garter are generalists.they eat anything they can catch and swallow.
Al

Amazing sequence! Seems strange that he couldn't get away. His strength must be in his back legs. Wow.

Note to Al: thanks to your comment--anything I write, I'll make sure my frogs go down headfirst. :)

Glo
 

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,338
326
Near Mt. Misery
Nice photos Bob! I once came upon a pine snake eating a small rabbit. As I recall it was a back end first arrangement. It is a little hard to recall now, but I think that rabbit was already constricted to death before being devoured. I used to have a couple pythons and they would always kill before consuming. I don't recall either of them ever taking food rear end first.

Jeff
 

Bobbleton

Explorer
Mar 12, 2004
466
46
NJ
Nice photos Bob! I once came upon a pine snake eating a small rabbit. As I recall it was a back end first arrangement. It is a little hard to recall now, but I think that rabbit was already constricted to death before being devoured. I used to have a couple pythons and they would always kill before consuming. I don't recall either of them ever taking food rear end first.

usually no snakes do . . . just because arms/legs/scales/fur/spines will fold back if prey is taken head first (and become obstacles if taken backward). for ribbon snakes though . . . they're kinda lame in a sense. their venom is super-weak, they can't constrict, and aren't tough enough to bite prey into submission like racers - so I'm guessing whichever way they get a good hold on is likely the way they're going down.
 
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