Huge snake found in Aussie garden devouring prey: 'Like eating an umbrella'
Coastal carpet pythons have got themselves in trouble with ambitious snacks before.
Jaw-dropping, or should we say jaw-expanding, footage has captured the moment a large coastal carpet python made light work of a morning snack in one man's garden, leaving Aussies impressed by the large reptile's ability.
The resident in Shorncliffe, situated in northeast Brisbane, stumbled upon the two animals on Monday morning and was shocked by the sight of the snake consuming a flying fox, with the prey's outstretched wings doing little to slow down the python's tenacious appetite.
"Coastal carpet python consuming a flying fox in Brisbane this morning," he wrote online. "A bit like eating an umbrella?
"Disengaged jaw is amazing. Please scroll past if you find this kind of thing too confronting," he added.
The python's impressive ability to expand its jaw and widen its mouth to consume tricky prey is on full display in the clip, with the bat slowly disappearing inside the predator.
Pythons known for consuming large prey
It's not the first time this species of snake has been caught snacking on large prey, with adult possums often on the menu.
In February snake catcher Stuart McKenzie was called to a property on the Sunshine Coast where a python was gobbling up a possum while hanging in the air, using gravity as an aid.
"Coastal carpet pythons have a lot of sharp teeth, a lot of strength and a very good ability of swallowing things whole,” he told Yahoo News at the time.
Because of these factors, and the snake's ability to dislodge its jaw, it's "extremely unlikely" prey will get stuck during the consumption process, yet not impossible. McKenzie was called to another home in the area in January where a coastal carpet python was left stuck hanging upside down for 12 hours after a possum became lodged in its teeth.
The snake catcher eventually had to intervene and separate predator from prey, with the snake seeming "relieved" to be freed.
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