Last month at the Marakele National Park in South Africa, Wildlife photographer and guide Michelle Sole captured a stunning footage. A herd of impalas’ cries alerted her about the presence of a predator. And that is when she came across a rare sight of the python enjoying its meal.Wildlife photographer and guide Michelle said, ‘We noticed the herd were staring at the ground and when we got closer we found a small, motionless impala with a four meter rock python wrapped around its fragile body. A few minutes later the herd moved away leaving the snake with her prize, but we looked on fascinated as she continued to squeeze despite the lack of life left in the poor lamb’s body. The mother impala returned and came close to her baby, distraught and calling in alarm but there was nothing she could do. When the snake was confident the lamb was dead it released its grip and then locked its jaws around the lamb’s nose and moved it into the undergrowth to swallow it whole.’
Reaching up to 7 meters and 90 kg in weight, the African Rock Python is Africa’s largest snake. They might not be venomous but they can deliver a nasty bite and even constrict their prey to kill it. The incredible thing is that the snake can swallow prey three times wider than its own head. The jaws are allowed to stretch apart because of their elastic ligaments.
The two sides of the lower jaw are not joined to each other. It can even divide its upper jaws if it needs to which gives it’s head four section capable of moving independently. The acid in the python’s stomach can break almost every part of the impala including the hooves and the horns.
Reaching up to 7 meters and 90 kg in weight, the African Rock Python is Africa’s largest snake. They might not be venomous but they can deliver a nasty bite and even constrict their prey to kill it. The incredible thing is that the snake can swallow prey three times wider than its own head. The jaws are allowed to stretch apart because of their elastic ligaments.
The two sides of the lower jaw are not joined to each other. It can even divide its upper jaws if it needs to which gives it’s head four section capable of moving independently. The acid in the python’s stomach can break almost every part of the impala including the hooves and the horns.
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