Nature
PUBLISHED
A video of a 1.5-meter (5-foot) gator being removed from the gut of a 5.5-meter (18-foot) Burmese python is a harrowing reminder that snakes really don’t chew their food. Shared to Instagram by geoscientist Rosie Moore, the video has received over 10 million views and we can see why. We want to look away, but we can’t.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.The necropsy was performed after the Burmese python (Python bivittatus) was euthanized. These snakes require culling because they are an invasive species that will eat just about anything, meaning they have a devastating effect on the local ecosystem and native wildlife. They have taken up residence in Florida’s Everglades, and now represent one of the most concerning invasive species in the area.
Florida residents are permitted to capture and humanely kill Burmese pythons in an effort to control their numbers, which is why our ambitious eater’s time was unfortunately up when a wildlife team discovered it. Noting a sizable mass inside its body, they opened the animal up after it was humanely euthanized and hey presto, an alligator corpse was born.
Something to think on the next time you find yourself getting sloppy with your mastication.
[H/T: PopSci]
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