Incredible photos from Australia show olive python swallowing a crocodile – via Herp Digest

BY EARTH TOUCH NEWS JULY 05 2019

We've seen pythons gobble down everything from kangaroos to possums and even porcupines (although that can end badly), but the latest sighting is a reptilian showdown of epic proportions. Kayaker Martin Muller was exploring the swamps of Mount Isa in Queensland recently when he captured this remarkable set of images of an olive python (Liasis olivaceus) devouring an Australian freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni). GG Wildlife Rescue Inc uploaded the photos on their Facebook page last month and they have since been shared over 37,000 times.

Image © Martin Muller/GG Wildlife Rescue Inc

Olive pythons typically stick to a diet of birds, bats, rats and small mammals, but it's not out of the ordinary for a sizeable one to take on a croc (this is not the first time that Queensland has played host to a snake-vs-croc matchup). The snakes are among the largest species in Australia and can grow up to four metres (13 feet) in length. Australian freshwater crocodiles, meanwhile, usually grow to an average length of about 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) from snout to tail.

Contrary to popular belief, snakes do not unhinge or dislocate their jaws in order to swallow large prey, but rather their mouths are built for the job. Snakes have two separate lower jaws that are connected via elastic ligaments. This allows them to stretch their mouths open wider than most animals and effectively "walk" their jaws over their prey in order to consume it. It can take some time for a snake to swallow a large meal and even longer for it to digest one. Prey like this hefty croc will likely take several months to be digested.

Only In Australia: Huge Snake Swallows, Regurgitates Fellow Snake – via Herp Digest

Katie Hill, 10daily.com.au News Reporter

May 21, 2019

Snake sightings aren't rare in the Kimberley, but snake-on-snake cannibalism is.

A six-metre long olive python was spotted with a full belly at the Parry Creek Farm Tourist resort, just east of Wyndham, WA, on Monday afternoon.

The big guy was quickly hauled into a bag and relocated to a nearby watering hole to keep the resort's chickens safe.

But shortly after being released, the slippery creature started to regurgitate its lunch.

It wasn't a chook, or a small mammal, as expected -- instead, a tail popped out of the snake's mouth.

The incredible scene was snapped by manager Amanda Jongedyk. You can actually see the second snake curled up inside the large snake's belly. 

The snaps have left many social media users in awe. "Incredible" and "amazing" were the most common responses.

"I have seen olives regurgitate their dinner before to beat a hasty retreat from their perceived threat ... they'd rather give up their lunch than being slowed down, " said one person.

Which led us to question -- do snakes normally eat snakes? And why don't we see them regurgitate more often?

"Snakes are part of their diet," said Sean Cade, from Australian Snake Catchers.

Asked whether they could be called cannibals, Cade responded with a simple "yes."

In this case, both snakes in question are olive pythons, Australia's second largest snake species. Like red-belly black snakes, they can eat their own kind.