Huge Prey Item

Huge Prey Item

Postby rolandslf » Mon Sep 15, 2014 12:17 pm

We very often discuss and debate prey item sizes. In the wild, anything goes because it is not known when the next prey item will present itself.
I went on a callout this morning, and found a BHS that had eaten a huge prey item, most probably a rat.
What impressed me however, is the constrictive power of this species, to subdue and kill a prey item of this size.
It is also not the first BHS I have caught over the years with huge prey items inside them.
The blood on the snake is from a bite from the prey item.
I caught it with my bare hands.

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Re: Huge Prey Item

Postby sgmpanza5 » Mon Sep 15, 2014 2:40 pm

Speaking for myself, it's pretty hard to see the relative size of the prey item from the pic. How big was the prey item compared to other objects, say a R10 note or half a ruler (15cm)?
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Re: Huge Prey Item

Postby Sico » Mon Sep 15, 2014 4:09 pm

I think it depicts more the size of the prey relative to the size of the snake that ate it, as opposed to the size of the prey in general. Pretty decent meal it got there!
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Re: Huge Prey Item

Postby reptile » Tue Sep 16, 2014 5:49 am

My guess:
snake 80cm, Rat about 15cm....... just a guess.
It would have been so cool to see the whole process.
Well done rolandstf and well done to the people who care to call someone to remove it, rather than killing it!!
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Re: Huge Prey Item

Postby sgmpanza5 » Tue Sep 16, 2014 9:04 am

I think it depicts more the size of the prey relative to the size of the snake that ate it, as opposed to the size of the prey in general.


I can see the size of the prey item relative to the snake. For interest sake, I just wanted to know the general size of the prey item relative to other objects. Still looks like a heavy meal though.
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Re: Huge Prey Item

Postby rolandslf » Tue Sep 16, 2014 9:56 am

The point here is that we advocate not feeding a prey item to any of our snakes that is larger than the thickest part of the snake. It is clearly seen here that the prey item is way thicker than the thickest part of the snake could be. I cannot say how big the prey item was as the snake had already swallowed it by the time I arrived. Of course, if you really want your question answered, I could get the snake to regurge the prey item.
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Re: Huge Prey Item

Postby Ruan Stander » Tue Sep 16, 2014 2:03 pm

I have also seen this quite a number of times, especially in the species discussed here and also puff adders.
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Re: Huge Prey Item

Postby sgmpanza5 » Tue Sep 16, 2014 3:21 pm

Of course, if you really want your question answered, I could get the snake to regurge the prey item.


Would that be nice!!!! :smt021 . Of course, I know you can't tell the exact size. All I wanted was an estimate. It's fine though - case closed.
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