Exploding snake

Exploding snake

There has been one documented case of an exploding snake, whereby a Burmese python burst. The 13-foot (4 meter) snake had swallowed a 6-foot (1.8 meter) alligator whole. Rangers of the Everglades National Park discovered the carcasses in October 2005, but they could not locate the snake's head. Frank Mazzotti, a professor from the University of Florida, suggested that the alligator had tried to claw its way out of the snake. Alternative hypotheses suggest the alligator could have already been dead, or a third animal was involved. The incident was noted as a sign that alligators' supremacy as a predator is not a certainty in the wild. Mazzotti also noted that a human discovery of such a battle between these predators was rare.

An urban legend website, Snopes, suggests that after ingesting the alligator, the snake was possibly cut open and beheaded by another individual (either a human or another predator). Snopes also proposes that a gas build-up caused by the decomposing alligator could have ruptured the snake's body, and that its head was eaten by scavengers.

The news report highlighted the concern held by wildlife biologists that the the Burmese Python might Invasive species
spread across the Southern United States
, where it finds a suitable climate, and become prohibitively expensive or wholly impossible to eradicate. This would threaten native ecosystems and vulnerable species. Breeding populations from escaped specimens or specimens released by overwhelmed owners are found already in the Everglades, the Big Cypress and on Key Largo. [http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1875]

ee also

*Exploding animal

References

* BBC News (5 October 2005) " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4313978.stm Snake bursts after gobbling gator] ". Accessed 6 October 2005.
* Snopes.com (11 April 2006) " [http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/snakegator.asp Tale Gator] ". Accessed 20 December 2006.

External links

* [http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/snakegator.asp Who's Saurian Now?: Photograph shows a snake that burst trying to eat an alligator] (Snopes.com)
* [http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=456&sid=636160 Python Bursts After Trying to Eat Gator] (AP, via WTOPNews.com)


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Exploding toad — An exploding toad occurs when a crow, hunting for toad liver, attacks a puffed up toad. The phenomenon was first noticed in April 2005 in districts of Hamburg, Germany and near a lake at Låsby, Denmark, dubbed The Pond of Death. No other animals… …   Wikipedia

  • Burmese Python — Taxobox name = Burmese Python status = LR/nt regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Reptilia ordo = Squamata subordo = Serpentes familia = Pythonidae genus = Python species = P. molurus subspecies = P. m. bivittatus trinomial = Python… …   Wikipedia

  • Magical objects in Harry Potter — The following is a list of magical objects used in Harry Potter. These objects exist for the use of the characters in the series by J. K. Rowling. Contents 1 Communication 1.1 Enchanted coins 1.2 Howler …   Wikipedia

  • List of One Piece characters — The protagonists of the One Piece series. Clockwise from top: Franky, Usopp (in his Sogeking alias), Nico Robin, Sanji, Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Brook and Tony Tony Chopper (at the center). The One Piece manga and anime series… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Marvel Family enemies — Through his adventures, Fawcett Comics/DC Comics superhero Captain Marvel and his Marvel Family gained a host of enemies, including the following: Contents 1 Acrobat 2 Adolf Hitler 3 Amoeba Family …   Wikipedia

  • List of Dragon Ball Z Kai episodes — Japanese promotional poster of Dragon Ball Kai Dragon Ball Z Kai (known in Japan as Dragon Ball Kai) is a revised version of the ani …   Wikipedia

  • Kill Bill — Infobox Film name = Kill Bill: Vol. 1 caption = Theatrical poster for Vol. 1 director = Quentin Tarantino producer = Lawrence Bender writer = Uma Thurman Quentin Tarantino starring = Uma Thurman Lucy Liu Daryl Hannah David Carradine Vivica A. Fox …   Wikipedia

  • List of Schlock Mercenary characters — This article is about the characters from Schlock Mercenary, a hard sci fi webcomic. Contents 1 Main characters 1.1 Protagonists 1.1.1 Sergeant Schlock 1.1.2 …   Wikipedia

  • Trapped! (TV series) — Trapped! is a children s TV gameshow created by Rob Hyde and broadcast on CBBC on BBC One on Fridays at 5:00pm and has also been shown on Sundays at 4:30pm on the CBBC Channel. It involves 6 children in a tower who have to sabotage tasks without… …   Wikipedia

  • MythBusters (2011 season) — Country of origin Australia United States Broadcast Original channel Discovery Channel Original run …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”