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A huge snake has won a life and death battle against a crocodile in Australia, swallowing the animal whole after a lengthy struggle before amazed onlookers.
Travis Corlis, who watched the fight at Queensland's Lake Moondarra, near the mining town of Mount Isa, on Sunday, said the snake, thought to be a python, was about three meters long and "healthy looking".
The crocodile, which the snake coiled itself around, was about three feet in length, he said.
"They had quite the struggle in the water," he told AFP. "It was an ongoing battle.
"We were just standing there in amazement watching it."
Corlis said several hours after he first saw the encounter, he noticed the snake had pulled the crocodile onto the banks of the lake and released its prey, which by this stage was dead.
"About 10 minutes later the crocodile was gone," he said, referring to the creature being eaten.
His wife Tiffany described the battle as "just unbelievable".
"We were sort of thinking that the snake had bitten off a little more than it could chew," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "But it did. It actually ate the crocodile."
She added: "When you looked at the snake, you could actually see the crocodile's ridges, legs and everything inside its belly."
Tiffany said the crocodile had struggled to keep its head out of the water, and while both animals had clearly tired during their marathon fight for survival, "finally, the croc sort of gave in".
Travis Corlis said while crocodiles and snakes were both common in the area, he had never seen them battle each other in such a way.
Freshwater crocodiles are known to inhabit Lake Moondarra and Travis Corlis said a recent drought had seen the water level drop, making them more visible.
"I think it might just have been nature at its best," he said.
© (c) 2014 AFP
15 Comments
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smithinjapan
Sheesh! Must have been quite the spectacle. I can't imagine what the snake looked like after swallowing the crock!
StormR
Croc not crock, and bet they wished they had a smart phone handy while this was unfolding
taj
Video!?! Surely someone had a cell phone handy?
cleo
Photos here -
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/snake-eats-crocodile-after-epic-fight-in-queensland-20140303-33xz8.html
The poor croc was only about a metre long, just a baby. Hours to die, what a horrible way to go.
SuperLib
This reminds me of the incredibly creepy sighting in Florida in 2005. Check out the picture:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1006_051006_pythoneatsgator.html
That's what researches found, and there is still some debate about what happened. The alligator is inside of the snake, but the snake's body burst. Also, the snake's head is missing. The snake's headless neck is at the top of the picture; the bottom of the picture shows a tail which is actually from the alligator.
GalapagosnoGairaishu
Thanks, Cleo. I hope someone's around to shoot the snake excreting a handbag and two pairs of women's shoes! ;-)
darknuts
They'll be coming after us next.
StormR
SuperLib thanks for the link, wow is all I can say, wouldn't want to meet that snake while out in the outback, damn.
Alex Einz
this news post is in the same infantile category as jeanist award...
Alex Einz
I heard that a pigeon has pooped in NY... and cat ate a bird somewhere in eastern Tazmania... ( scoop )
LordPounce
A croc a day....
Serrano
"the snake, thought to be a python, was about three meters long and “healthy looking”.
I'll bet it was.
“When you looked at the snake, you could actually see the crocodile’s ridges, legs and everything inside its belly.”
Jeepers creepers!
“I think it might just have been nature at its best,”
Jeepers creepers, I'd hate to see nature at its worst!
"The poor croc was only about a metre long, just a baby. Hours to die, what a horrible way to go"
Nature at its best... or worst!
OssanAmerica
Nature is no Disney movie love.
JustinPascoe31
Hmmmmmmmmm. Don't mess with us Australians huh? As I say to international visitors, if it moves, it will probably kill you. The fact is there is no probability about it. It WILL kill you. We live in the land of deadly...err...everything’s, so before all you bleeding hearts out there sympathise with the croc, just remember, that's life. That's nature. THAT is Australia.
Serrano
Chalk one up for the snakes, lol