Greedy puffie and a pretty night adder

[Chris89]

Howzit all!
I got a call out a few weeks ago for a Little Puff Adder at an office on a farm. It had been chilling in the same spot for quite some time without moving off a pathway. Found this little yearling looking very satisfied.
I relocated him to a suitable bit of veld and got this series of photo's. I've kept many snakes in the past but am not really a keeper and have never observed one regurgitating a meal. So when this little chap started yawning i assumed he'd realised he'd bitten off more than he could chew and was ready to sacrifice. i quickly moved him to a shady spot where he might feel secure and change his mind and left him to his business. Later when looking at the photos i noticed the three large ants clinging to the inside of his mouth! What do you guys and girls think? Regurgitating or ant attack? This snake was so bloated it was having real difficulty moving at all.





A few hours later I was called for this lovely night adder. The caller had, the previous week, proudly shown me a puff adder he had killed on his stoep. At the time i suggested he call me instead and explained how to make a hook and capture a snake safely. When i got there the snake was secured in a bucket unharmed. What a champ. Faith in humanity restored!

Chris

[Bushviper]

Snakes often bloat when the food they eat decomposes faster than what they can digest it. I think the ants were bothering him. It also makes me wonder whether he was not eating a dead animal that already had ants on it and that is how they ended up in his mouth.

[SteveZi]

nice snakes and photos