Don’t say it. Don’t. This python did not bite off more than it could chew. Pythons don’t chew.
The unfortunate snake featured below did manage to fully swallow this antelope. And probably would’ve gotten away with it too. But the digestion part of the meal screwed it. As the snake lazed in the sun, a man named Jaco Kotze noticed it on his farm and brought in snake catcher Arthur Roden to do something about it.
Roden started out trying to grab the snakes head, as snake catchers do. But the full-bellied python wasn’t having it. It needed to make a getaway and had to decide between being captured and upchucking its lunch. Roden accommodated the python and gave it some space and holy god, all of that was in there?! Yup, that’s an entire antelope all right.
This is reportedly an African rock python, which is the largest snake on the continent. While they can get up to 4.8 meters long, they average 3 to 3.53 meters. Once this one was subdued, Roden and crew broke out a tape measure and it clocked in at 3.9 meters, so it’s a big one.
You can see the important part (antelope vomit) below. There’s a longer version of the full ordeal right here.
[Crater Clips via Buzzfeed]