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Started By
Message
Water moccasin eating road kill.
Posted on 8/25/16 at 8:55 pm
Posted on 8/25/16 at 8:55 pm
I was driving to the store a little while ago and there's a dead armadillo in the road a couple blocks from here (marsh one one side and woods on the other). Well as I pass by the armadillo in the other lane, I noticed a large snake on the carcass. I backed up and got out my flashlight and sure enough it was about a 2' long water mocassin. It slowly slithered onto the grass shoulder and I drove off. On the way back 15 minutes later, he was back eating it again, but I didn't run him over.
I thought they only killed and ate live prey, didn't think they were scavengers?
Sorry no pics, but 100% it was a mocassin.
I thought they only killed and ate live prey, didn't think they were scavengers?
Sorry no pics, but 100% it was a mocassin.
Posted on 8/25/16 at 8:59 pm to bhtigerfan
reinforces my impression of a water moccasin as a nasty creature...
not really sure how they could take a bite of anything, though. I suppose it could swallow chunks of rotten shite if it could find something loose. may also be looking for a rat or something else that comes for a bite.
not really sure how they could take a bite of anything, though. I suppose it could swallow chunks of rotten shite if it could find something loose. may also be looking for a rat or something else that comes for a bite.
Posted on 8/25/16 at 8:59 pm to bhtigerfan
That's fricked if true. Those things suck.
Posted on 8/25/16 at 9:04 pm to bhtigerfan
What was he eating on it? I thought they only ate stuff they killed
Posted on 8/26/16 at 3:04 am to bhtigerfan
I'd have to see this to believe it. Snakes swallow prey, and generally only stuff they just killed (or still alive). Hell, my pets that are conditioned to be fed thawed mice and are expecting it every time I open the cage often won't take the mouse if I don't get the temperature up into the 90s. They'll nose right up to it and then refuse it at room temperature. I heat it up near body temp, and they hit it instantly. And snakes lack the type of teeth to tear away flesh or body parts and eat it. I couldn't even imagine a 5 ft. moccasin trying to swallow an armadillo. Are you saying a 2 ft. snake was literally trying to get his mouth around the head of the armadillo and not just poking around to see what's up?
ETA: I just researched it a bit, and a herpetology publication actually cites 50 observed instances of scavenging (43 in the field, 7 in the lab). So I guess it does occur. I never would have believed it though.
ETA: I just researched it a bit, and a herpetology publication actually cites 50 observed instances of scavenging (43 in the field, 7 in the lab). So I guess it does occur. I never would have believed it though.
This post was edited on 8/26/16 at 3:09 am
Posted on 8/26/16 at 6:59 am to bhtigerfan
quote:
15 minutes later, he was back eating it again, but I didn't run him over.
The worst part of the story.
Posted on 8/26/16 at 7:54 am to bhtigerfan
A lot of snakes will eat already dead animals. However, they're not all smart enough to know what they can and can't swallow. It probably just smelled food and was trying to figure out how to eat it. However, indigos, which are non constrictors and have powerful jaws, have been observed tearing meat off of dead prey.
This post was edited on 8/26/16 at 9:10 am
Posted on 8/26/16 at 8:35 am to bhtigerfan
hard times out there for snakes
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