Black Rat Snake eating Opossum

I heard one of my dogs barking furiously in the woods behind my house. I discovered this Black Rat Snake guarding a recently regurgitated opossum. Once I had my son take the dogs back to the house, the snake began consuming his recently acquired meal once again. It smelled of death, so that would explain the blow flies.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• black
• rat
• snake
• opossum
• pantherophis
• obsoletus

[iamcarpetpython]

was that possum already dead when he started to eat it? there are flys everywhere...???

[TrackerMedic]

@iamcarpetpython - He had already eaten it, then regurged it when my dogs started harassing him. Then, once the dogs were put up, the snake ate the possum again.

[MTbasher07]

correct me if im wrong but wouldnt it die from too big of a meal

[TrackerMedic]

In captivity they die from eating meals that are too big because they are dehydrated, their water bowls are filthy, their cage mulch is filthy, etc. In nature, they are able to crawl away from their poop, and they have access to water whenever they want, so death from a large meal in the wild is probably an extreme rarity.

[HidingExperiments]

@MTbasher07 Usually, if it's too large of a meal, the snake will regurgitate it, but snakes are pretty stretchy.

[xblskater]

@MTbasher07 no they dont not usually the just rugurgate it up. its weird butsnakes cant choke there throat isnt connected to there air way

[TrackerMedic]

@Snoep76239 - Crikey, I'm found out.

[Snoep76239]

@TrackerMedic

He does not want to give his identity because he is Steve Irwin, who faked his death-by-stingray! :-)

[BensHerps]

@harryramirez25 you can buy already dead mice and rats at most pet stores. most of the time they are frozen when you get em. so if you dont mind having to nuc em in the microwave for a little bit, than thats a good alternative.

[harryramirez25]

hey man, what do I do if my black rat snake isn't actually KILLING it's food? I just got new bedding. I change it's water everyday. Keep the temp at 78-85 it has a little wooden hut to go under and it wouldn't kill it but eat it after I killed it.

[MrAstropop99]

to words  ga ross

[YayItsDana]

Grats on the nice find. Too bad for the opossum but that's life, eh? Excellent footage.

[YayItsDana]

@JustinLawlzALot Do research plz. Spreading misinformation sucks.

[KittChiWolf]

@JustinLawlzALot

It's extremely rare for opossums to get rabies due to their low body temperature.