We’ve seen pythons gobble down everything from kangaroos to possums and even porcupines (although that can end badly), but the latest sighting is a reptilian showdown of epic proportions.
Kayaker Martin Muller was exploring the swamps of Mount Isa in Queensland recently when he captured this remarkable set of images of an olive python (Liasis olivaceus) devouring an Australian freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni).
GG Wildlife Rescue Inc uploaded the photos on their Facebook page last month and they have since been shared over 37,000 times.
Image © Martin Muller/GG Wildlife Rescue Inc
Olive pythons typically stick to a diet of birds, bats, rats and small mammals, but it’s not out of the ordinary for a sizeable one to take on a croc (this is not the first time that Queensland has played host to a snake-vs-croc matchup).
Australian freshwater crocodiles, meanwhile, usually grow to an average length of about 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) from snout to tail.
The snakes are among the largest species in Australia and can grow up to four metres (13 feet) in length.
Image © Martin Muller/GG Wildlife Rescue Inc
Image © Martin Muller/GG Wildlife Rescue Inc
Image © Martin Muller/GG Wildlife Rescue Inc
Image © Martin Muller/GG Wildlife Rescue Inc
Image © Martin Muller/GG Wildlife Rescue Inc
Image © Martin Muller/GG Wildlife Rescue Inc