The following photographs show a Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) eating an American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), spotted along the boardwalk that goes through the central wetland area at Huntley Meadows Park.
The following slideshow features a time-series of five photos showing the predator slowly swallowing its prey. Frogs make an unmistakable distress call when they are in the jaws of a snake — once you’ve heard it you’ll never forget it!
Human interest sidebar: “Peristalsis is an amazing thing,” commented one of the people watching the snake-eats-frog spectacle. I turned to the woman and said, “You must be some sort of professional biologist, because the word ‘peristalsis’ isn’t in the vocabulary of most people.” Turns out she is currently working as a veterinarian; her former job was at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Fascinating woman with a beautiful baby — hope to see her at the park again!
Copyright © 2013 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: American Bullfrog, Huntley Meadows Park, Lithobates catesbeianus, Nerodia sipedon sipedon, Northern Watersnake, predator, prey, wildlife photography
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February 1, 2015 at 11:40 pm |
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