On a tranquil day out in the Northern region of Kruger National Park, Giosuè Spinosa decided to explore the Shingwedzi River, a popular spot to observe crocodiles and hippos. An unexpected animal, however, caught his eye instead.
A black mamba was swiftly slithering along the sand towards the river’s edge with such speed that Spinosa could only assume that the snake intended to make a crossing. The movement caught both the eye of Spinosa and the animal he had hoped to see at the river.
With a frantic snap of its jaws, the croc’s teeth narrowly missed the black mamba’s tail as the lightning-fast serpent darted into the water.
The snake made it safely past the crocodile, and swiftly swam to the other side of the river, leaving a frustrated predator in its wake.
Just when the black mamba thought it had outrun death, the treacherous clay on the riverbank betrayed it. Its slick, coiled body slowed as it struggled to escape, unaware that another crocodile had already locked eyes on it.
Seeing its opportunity, the crocodile made a mad dash across the river and effortlessly snatched up the snake with its powerful jaws. The thick, leathery skin of crocodiles allows them to be one of the few animals that don’t have to fear the venomous jaws of the Mamba.
The crocodile whipped the snake around with such intensity that it attracted the attention of a fish eagle! After a few seconds, the fish eagle quickly realized the meal belonged solely to the king of the river, and it flew away before finding out if the croc still had an appetite when it was done with the snake.
If the powerful jaws and head thrashing hadn’t done this poor snake in, being dragged underwater certainly finished the job. Crocodiles will sometimes bring larger prey items into the water with them to drown them if necessary.
A palatal valve, in the back of their mouths allows the throats of crocodiles to be sealed off from both air and water. This allows them to swallow their prey underwater, an ability that is key to the hunting style of these water-dwelling predators.