It's well known that Australia is a country with no shortage of impressive, and even fearsome, creatures, and it's not uncommon for locals to witness scenes that are as unusual as they are scary. A video posted on Facebook has just reminded us of this once again. Filmed by a snake specialist, it shows a carpet python struggling with... a bat.
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A very difficult meal to swallow
Scientifically named Morelia spilota, this reptile from Australia is a constrictor snake that can measure up to 13 feet long and weigh up to 15 kilograms. The size of the python filmed was not specified but it appears particularly imposing in the footage. And the sight is all the more frightening when one sees the prey that it is clutching against its body.
The bat, which is also imposing, has obviously been dead for some time, but the predator seems to be struggling with its meal. As Redland's Snake Catcher, who posted the video confirmed to the Daily Mail, the python tried to swallow the bat headfirst but its anatomy, and in particular its pointed wings, made it difficult to do so.
Eyes bigger than its stomach
‘The snake couldn't get the wings down,’ he said. So the predator finally gave up:
After half an hour, it just dropped the bat on the ground.
Carpet pythons prey on a wide variety of animals ranging from small mammals to birds. This one, however, seemed to have eyes bigger than its stomach.
According to the snake catcher, carpet pythons are common in this part of Australia and pose no real threat to humans. Nevertheless, he moved the specimen to a safer location. He said:
We eventually moved the snake from the road into the bush because it was an area where children were crossing to go to school.
