Snake Eats Snake

[+Team DEMP]

Was hiking today along the very western edge of Harriman going after the last 3 caches in Harriman/Bear Mountain (other then 1 MIA and 1 boating cache) that I hadn't found. Ended up being an 11 mile loop though I thought it would be 9.

 

On the way to the final cache (Bling Bling), I spotted a black snake which slithered off the path. A couple mins later, I spotted another black snake that wasn't moving away. It's because it was eating another snake! I stayed a couple mins as it continued to take in the other snake.

 

Here are some pics...

 

 

 

 

And a closeup before I continued on my way...

 

You can see in the last closeup picture that the snake being eaten has a tail wrapped around a branch on the ground. Not sure what the snake will do when it gets to that knot unless the snake being eaten lets go.

 

Anyone see something like this before?

[+cache_test_dummies]

Anyone see something like this before?

Nope. And with a little luck I won't see anything like that again, either!

 

 

No, seriously, those are some cool pictures. Thanks for sharing them.

[+Quoddy]

Now we'll never know. David, you were supposed to stay there until dinner-time was over.

[AddedValue]

I saw a similar site a few years ago along the Hudson in Alpine near the lookout. The difference was that the snake was eating a frog and all that you could see was the top half of the frog sticking out of the snake's mouth. Too bad I did not have a camera.

[+nikcap]

Holy smokes! That's crazy stuff Dave.

I wonder how big/long the other snake was. Dinner doesn't look that much smaller then the diner. Seems like the black snake was a little ambitious.

 

I once saw two northern pikes in a similar pose. However, it was the smaller fish trying to swallow the bigger fish. I think I have a photograph of that somewhere.

 

Didn't I mention something about natural selection earlier in the day.

You gotta be smart and fast, or you'll be lunch or dinner.

Edited August 21, 2005 by ekitt10

[MapheadMike]

What kind of snake was the victim?

[+Jerseytrex]

Wow that is so cool. Hey, saw this awesome show on Animal Planet one night. This snake was eating this frog but it didn't bite it it just swallowed it whole. BIG MISTAKE! The frog turned out to have poisonous skin and it paralyzed the snake. The snake was about to slither away when it just stopped and got this look on its face like, "Uh oh, I think I shouldn't have eaten that last froggy!"

Snake died and the frog wiggled its way out of the snakes mouth and hopped away like no big deal... It was so cool.

I can't believe you stayed to take pictures. I would have been out like trout!

Be careful Dave.

Mike

[shanni-bugbait-wren]

WoW! That is so cool! Bugbait told me that one time him and his friend were walking around in Dismal Swamp and there were tons of snakes in these pits. Frogs were in there too as they couldn't get out and Bugbait picked up a snake and saw this lump moving up it's belly towards it's mouth and out came a frog, and HOPPED AWAY! He's such a savior!

Edited August 21, 2005 by shannicat & bugbait

[+GeoKender]

...then a red-tail hawk flew in for a 2 fer 1 sit down buffet dinner!

 

Now, that was very interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[+Waterboy]

WOW!!! That is fantastic!!! See something like that is what being in the woods is all about. We are envious.

 

Waterboy With Wife

[+brian b]

To be honest, I have seen that once before, but it was many years ago. The snake that is now a dinner looks to be a garter.

 

Cool pics.

[+geobernd]

Thanks for posting the pics.. After the shiver subsided it was really cool to see

[+benjamin921]

Sweet

[+robert]

[+Polgara]

Way cool! I never would have guessed in a million years that i'd see a pic of that before i'd see a bear. I guess i was wrong.

 

I love seeing animals in the wild, especially when i'm able to snap pics of them! Thx for sharing!

[+BMSquared]

Very Very Cool!!!! I didn't know they were canibals.

[+Squealy]

That was friggin' awesome - nice shots Dave.

 

You know the victim was hoping you had Helmut with you!

[mortonfox]

Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?

[+edscott]

What happens when the bigger snake gets to the tail? By that time the little snake has suffocated and will relax a bit. That is why they take their time at dinner. I once fed a BIG bullfrog a full grown gerbil. He gulped it down in a single motion. Unfortunately the hamster was not yet dead and he clawed the bullfrog to death from the inside out.

 

BTW.. I stole one of your photos to show my classes this fall.. thanks

Edited August 22, 2005 by edscott

[+joe gremlin]

That's one happy black snake. He's gonna be set for couple weeks with that meal. Sue and I had a black bear cross the path ahead of us yesterday as we were leaving a cache. He was gone as fast as he showed so no time to get picture but I was so startled (never saw one before) I couldn't have gotten a picture if I had been holding the camera with my finger on the button.

[+The Frantic Cachers]

And the only thing Laura and i get to see in the woods is a deer doing his business....

 

[+teepeeayy]

Very cool, I love how the eat-ee has its tail wrapped around a twig in a last ditch effort to hang on.

[+Packanack]

Reminde me of congress.

[+klizich]

Sniff! You should feel SO guilty for that poor garter snake...if you had only loaned your cell phone to the black snake, he could have ordered a pizza or something for delivery! "Oh, the humanity!" (well, almost!). ...could've been worse............

[+joefrog]

The frog turned out to have poisonous skin and it paralyzed the snake. The snake was about to slither away when it just stopped and got this look on its face like, "Uh oh, I think I shouldn't have eaten that last froggy!"

Snake died and the frog wiggled its way out of the snakes mouth and hopped away like no big deal... It was so cool.

I love a story with a happy ending!

[avroair]

Neat in a twisted sorta way.

[+Team Shibby]

I could walk around in the woods with my camera for two weeks straight and never see anything worth taking a picture of, but god forbid I forget the camera home and all sorts of photo opportunities pop up

 

Good shot, Dave! Thanks for sharing it with us!! I never thought snakes ate each other...that must have been one hungry snake!!

 

Kar of TS!!

[+macatac1961]

Those are incredible pictures. That black snake would be in trouble if another hungry animal came along.