Red-Bellied Black Snake Eats Baby Eastern Brown Alive; Snakelet Flickers Its Tongue While Inside The Mouth of Its Predator [Watch]

A snake catcher was shocked at what he witnessed when he headed callout. He was expecting to see one snake but found two.

An Eastern Brown Snake Inside a Red-Bellied Black Snake

Mitchell Thorburn responded to a snake callout on the Gold Coast. However, the snake catcher was taken aback because when he arrived to pick up the red-bellied black snake on a property in Ormeau, a head of an eastern brown snake popped out from its mouth.

Apparently, the red-bellied black snake ate the snakelet alive and it was trying to escape. It was still alive when Thorburn arrived because the snakelet was still flickering its tongue.

Thorburn admitted to 9 News that he was surprised at the sight because it was the first time he had ever witnessed such a thing - a snake poking its head out of another. However, he said it wasn't surprising to see red-bellied black snakes eating other snakes.

Both species are venomous. The eastern brown snake is the second most venomous land snake in Australia and is believed to be responsible for most snake bite fatalities in the country.

According to Thorburn, the two snakes do not live in the same area. And despite the occasional predation on each other, both live side-by-side happily. The snake expert said they do not compete for food.

He also noted that predation works both ways. Eastern brown snakes also feed on red-bellied black snakes. However, he noted that size matters.

Netizens React to the Snake Video

Thorburn shared a clip of the encounter on Facebook. It was evident how the larger red-bellied black snake took on the smaller eastern brown snake.

In the footage, the snakelet can be seen popping its head from the red-bellied black snake while flickering its tongue.

Several netizens reacted, with several wondering if the red-bellied black snake would die since the snakelet was venomous. The Gold Coast Snake Catcher responded that the red-bellied black snake would be fine because the venom needs access to the blood via bite rather than consumption. Also, red-bellied black snakes are cannibalistic and likely have immunity against other snakes' venom.

Another said what they had just witnessed was "wild." Another said she never thought such an instance was more common than she realized.

Meanwhile, many were rooting for the red-bellied black snake because, despite being venomous, there were no reported deaths caused by them.

One said red-bellies are cool because they killed the brown. Another said eastern brown snakes are venomous and invasive, so the red-bellied black snakes are doing the populace a favor by eating them.

Another user said it's the reason they loved red-bellied black snakes in their yard because they aren't aggressive and they eat the angry snakes like the eastern brown.

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