Pharyngula

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Thursday, July 28, 2005

Calling any snake experts

image

Take a look at this spectacular picture of a snake and his lunch. Any guesses on what it is or where?

I need to find out so I know where not to go tubing this summer.


Trackback url: http://pharyngula.org/index/trackback/2645/2nlguk2K/

Comments:
#33062: — 07/28  at  10:00 AM
The victim looks like a large Walaby so by default you are probably in Australia (home of more venoumous snakes and spiders than anywhere else). If I had to guess from the geology and presence of water I would guess at someplace in the north like Kakadu.

David



#33065: — 07/28  at  10:22 AM
I'm going to guess olive python for the snake.



#33067: — 07/28  at  10:45 AM
Yeah, looks like Northern Territory, though it could be father inland than Kakadu. For all we know, it could be by a water hole in the middle of the desert (the rocks look similar to the ones around King's Canyon).



#33072: — 07/28  at  11:20 AM
I think it's definitely northern territory, but anyway, the snake is definitely an olive pyhton Liasis olivaceous due to the size of the snake.

Interesting thing about it's close cousin the water python Liasis fuscus; a study has shown that in parts of it's range to have the largest numbers of vertebrate predator per unit area known.



#33077: — 07/28  at  11:51 AM
The picture was taken in a gorge in the Kimberley Range in Western Australia. The lunch is probably a western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus). Ceibatree is right; it is an Olive Python.
PREFERRED HABITAT: Arid to subhumid areas of northern Australia. Often encountered along drainage systems, especially those associated with rocky areas. L. o. olivaceus extends from Broome area, W.A. across northern N.T. to western half of Qld.; as far south as Windorah district.

More info here: http://www.smuggled.com/auspyt3.htm



#33082: — 07/28  at  01:19 PM
But have you seen this series of pictures?
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/snake-kangaroo.html

Speaking of which, since creationists believe that all animals were created vegetarian, isn't it strange that snakes are capable of swallowing prey much larger than themselves? Perhaps they believe snakes were designed to swallow watermelon whole?



's avatar #33083: PZ Myers — 07/28  at  01:25 PM
Everything was larger in Biblical times. They are no doubt well adapted to consume giant turnips.

PZ Myers
Division of Science and Math
University of Minnesota, Morris



's avatar #33084: PZ Myers — 07/28  at  01:26 PM
And geez, those photos...I'm going to have to print them out and stick them on the refrigerator.

As inspiration.

PZ Myers
Division of Science and Math
University of Minnesota, Morris



#33126: — 07/28  at  10:29 PM
Yeah, I've seen this floating around a while now. Definitely an olive python and a small wallaby. The real problem with this is that there's no scale, and most people imagine all macropods are big as red kangaroos, not knowing most are fairly small.



#33160: — 07/29  at  03:44 PM
One of the neatest things I learned about snakes was how the trachea ran all the way up along the floor of the mouth, so the animal could continue breathing with its throat completely plugged with dinner.

The flexi-jaws are pretty cool too. Nothing like crawling onto your dinner, as opposed to swallowing it.



#36481: — 08/19  at  03:48 PM
I sent this photo to Snopes and truthorfiction to see if anyone had any idea if it was real or not. It came to me labelled fishing for roos in the Kimberly River, from a gov.au address.
Even if it is a wallaby how big does it make this snake? The body at the edge of the photo looks the same thickness as the rest of it. Could it be about 4m?



#41554: — 09/25  at  02:01 AM
did u kno
Snakes have skin embedded with scales. The scales are made of keratin, the same substance fingernails are made of. Their eyes are covered by a clear scale called the brille which protects their eyes from dust, debris, and injury. The purpose scales serve is to protect the snake's skin, enable serpentile locomotion, and minimize water loss. From time to time the snakes shed the outer layer of their scales. It is a common misconsception that snakes shed their skin -- they actually only shed the outer layers of the skin -- since this part is incapable of growing. They do this by secreting a special fluid between the layers of the skin. The fluid causes the skin to separate and soften, the colors of the skin becomes ghostly dull and strangely opaque, the eyes blue. In a few days the skin and eyes clear up. A couple of days after that, the snake rubs its snout against something abrasive and the skin around its head starts to peel. Then the snake literally crawls out of its skin, turning the dead layer inside out.



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