Oriental whip snake having Olive-backed Sunbird for lunch
Posted by BESG on 13 September 08, Saturday
Contributed by Johnny Wee
Johnny Wee recently documented an oriental whip snake (Ahaetulla prasina) catching and swallowing an Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis). The catch was fast and sudden. Once firmly clasped between the jaws of the snake, there was no escape for the bird. Not even a struggle.
Next was the slow process of swallowing the bird. The snake took nearly an hour to completely swallow the sunbird.
The oriental whip snake is common around vegetation in rural and urban areas alike. It can grow up to 1.9 m long. Its slender green body has a pointed snout in side profile. It preys mainly on lizards but also eats frogs and small birds. The snake is mildly poisonous.
Note: According to R Subaraj, the bird is an immature Brown-throated Sunbird - see comment below.
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Categories: Feeding-vertebrates
Comment by plasmabstract
Made Saturday, 13 of September , 2008 at 8:59 am
Wow! Those are Great shots!!!
Comment by Jun Ying
Made Saturday, 13 of September , 2008 at 4:57 pm
amazing
Comment by Subaraj
Made Monday, 15 of September , 2008 at 3:33 pm
Wow! These are great shots and a good record of this snake eating a bird.
The bird in question is not an Olive-backed Sunbird though. It is actually an immature Brown-throated Sunbird. The pale patch around the eye, dull yelloiw underparts and lack of white in the outer tail feathers point to this while the orangy base to the bill and patchy yellow of underparts point to its age.
Comment by K C Tsang
Made Monday, 15 of September , 2008 at 4:15 pm
Yummy, yummy !!!!
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Made Wednesday, 17 of December , 2008 at 1:44 pm
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