An unusually fat snake, which was discovered during a nature survey in Georgia, surprised researchers last fall.
According to PEOPLE, it was an August 29th Facebook post from the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GNR) that detailed the shocking nature of the eastern indigo snake. The snake was caught and tagged by wildlife technician Matt Moore. Moore was a part of the survey conducted last November, which focussed on the federally protected eastern indigo species. Moore's particular find in southeast Georgia made for quite a story.
After tagging the reptile, Moore quickly discovered that the snake had regurgitated two other snakes - a young rat snake, as well as a juvenile eastern diamond-backed rattlesnake. While such was quite a surprise on its own, things got even crazier in the moments that followed. The rattlesnake was alive after being regurgitated!
In the Facebook post, the details regarding the rattlesnake's return to life outside of the eastern indigo were laid out. Upon regurgitation, both the rat snake and the rattlesnake seemed to be deceased. But, after an hour, the rattlesnake began to show signs of life. Later, the once-eaten reptile was found basking in the sun. Soon thereafter, both the rattlesnake and the eastern indigo slithered off into the wild, as the survey had wrapped up.
Researchers Shocked As Rattlesnake Survives Being Swallowed By Another Snake
To make things even more insane, the rattlesnake had a large bulge in its body. Such indicated that the snake had eaten a quite sizable mouse prior to being eaten itself.
Notably, eastern indigo snakes are known to eat other snakes quite often. Such is not out of the ordinary, as their diet consists of "small mammals, birds, frogs and other snakes." While eastern indigo snakes are not venomous, they are quite tough, and they're known to enjoy meals consisting of rattlesnakes and cottonmouths alike.
The story of these snakes is really quite something. A mouse and three snakes all eating one another in one way or another. And somehow, two of those snakes survived.
