Photographer captures 'incredibly rare' moment between platypus and snake
While platypus are regularly attacked by feral predators, seeing one taken by a snake is an extremely rare.
Some of the world’s most remarkable creatures can be found in the Australian bush, and spotting just one of them during a walk is exciting. So new images showing an unusual interaction between two very different animals has sparked excitement as well as bewilderment.
Pictures taken by an ecologist on the weekend show a long carpet python with a platypus clenched in its jaws. Elliot Bowerman told Yahoo News he spotted the strange interaction while walking through Marys Creek State Forest, inland from Noosa.
“I came upon the python holding onto it by one of its hands,” he told Yahoo News. “It was a unique encounter.”
Two of the world's leading platypus experts have revealed its the first time they've ever seen a python attack a platypus.
Need more incredible images of Australia's wild places? 🐊🤠 Subscribe to our newsletter.
Platypus experts marvel at 'incredible' encounter
After reviewing the images, platypus expert Dr Tamielle Brunt described them as “incredible”.
The Wildlife Queensland PlatypusWatch project officer told Yahoo News she’s not aware of anything similar, but there are several other species known to attack the iconic Aussie animal.
“I've never come across it in my time in the platypus space, but we’ve known there’s been potential for snakes to raid eggs in platypus nests,” she said.
“Most commonly their native predators would be sea eagles and hawks – they could easily drop down and take one from the water… Then obviously there’s invasive predators like cats and foxes that are the biggest threats.
“But there are also reports of Murray od harassing baby platypus, as well as crocodiles further up north.”
Platypus ecologist Joshua Griffiths told Yahoo News it was the first time he'd seen evidence of a snake predating a platypus.
"I guess we've always thought large snakes are a potential predator, but it must be incredibly rare. So to actually capture it on camera is pretty amazing," he said.
What happened after the snake grabbed the platypus?
Bowerman had been looking for keelbacks, Australia's only non-venomous semi-aquatic snake, when he spotted the situation unfolding. While some walkers would have wanted to intervene, Bowerman believes it’s best to let wild situations unfold naturally, and even if he’d wanted to, it was too late to save the platypus as it was no longer alive.
“I watched for a minute or so and then left it – I didn’t want to bother it. So, I don’t know if it ate the whole thing,” he said.
Bowerman thinks the platypus could have been sitting under a rock when the snake found it. Because the platypus didn’t smell and hadn’t entered rigour mortis, Bowerman thinks the interaction was a recent one. And the battle between the two creatures was likely quick.
“There wasn’t too much damage on the platypus. You could imagine if it was a male with venom spurs it would have put up quite a fight,” he said.
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week’s best stories.
