14 DAY TRIAL // Just yesterday, a ranger in Australia chanced to stumble upon a massive python that had just caught a wallaby and was busy gulping it down. Luckily for us, the ranger had a camera with him and used it to document the snake's meal.
Shortly after, he shared the images with us, ordinary folks. Fret not, ranger Paul O'Neill's photos showing the python swallowing the poor wallaby whole are included in the galley below. Fair warning though, they are not for the faint of heart.
How the ranger found the python
As detailed in a Facebook post by Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife, ranger Paul O'Neill chanced to come across the python and its lifeless prey while on patrol. Thus, it was some birds that sparked his interest and led him to the snake.
“Paul O'Neill, Ranger at Nitmiluk National Park on the edge of Katherine township, was on patrol this morning near the Visitors Centre,” reads the Facebook post detailing this rather frightful encounter.
Furthermore, “He noticed that some birds were making a frightful noise nearby and as he investigated... this amazing sight of a Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus) feeding on one of the resident Agile Wallaby joeys (Macropus agilis)!”
By the looks of it, the python did not mind having ranger Paul O'Neill stare at it while it was busy pushing the wallaby further and further down its throat. Then again, few would even put down a perfectly tasty treat just because somebody is taking pictures of them eating it.
The snake will not feed again for weeks
Wildlife researchers say that, all things considered, it will take the snake about 5 to 7 days to digest the wallaby. After this, the python will probably choose to spend a few weeks in hiding, napping and planning its next meal.
Experts say that the snake will once again go in search of prey about a month from now, maybe even two. Thus, it appears that, whereas some pythons have a rather hearty appetite and feed quite often, others are quite concerned with their waistline and only eat every once in a while.
It's important to note that, although olive pythons like the one featured in these photos have no trouble taking down wallaby and gulping them down whole, these snakes usually settled for eating birds, reptiles and frogs.
In fact, it appears that, contrary to rumors that such snakes don't shy away from feasting on humans, wallabies are about the biggest prey olive pythons currently populating Australia can hope to stuff down their throat.
The reason these snakes can swallow such creatures whole is that their jaws are not fused together and their ribs are not attached to their sternum. Consequently, their mouth and the rest of their body can widen to a considerable extent.
