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snake image via Shutterstock

Snake gobbles up crocodile after fierce battle

“When you actually looked at the snake, you could actually see the crocodile’s ridges, legs and everything inside its belly,” a witness said.

A HUGE SNAKE has won a life and death battle against a crocodile in Australia, swallowing the animal whole after a lengthy struggle before amazed onlookers.

Travis Corlis, who watched the fight at Queensland’s Lake Moondarra, near the mining town of Mount Isa, yesterday, said the snake, thought to be a python, was about 10 feet long and “healthy looking”.

The crocodile, which the snake coiled itself around, was about three feet in length, he said.

“They had quite the struggle in the water,” he told AFP. “It was an ongoing battle.

“We were just standing there in amazement watching it.”

Corlis said several hours after he first saw the encounter, he noticed the snake had pulled the crocodile onto the banks of the lake and released its prey, which by this stage was dead.

“About 10 minutes later the crocodile was gone,” he said, referring to the creature being eaten.

His wife Tiffany described the battle as “just unbelievable”.

“We were sort of thinking that the snake had bitten off a little more than it could chew,” she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“But it did. It actually ate the crocodile.”

She added: “When you actually looked at the snake, you could actually see the crocodile’s ridges, legs and everything inside its belly.”

(Video: Barcroft TV/YouTube)

Tiffany said the crocodile had struggled to keep its head out of the water, and while both animals had clearly tired during their marathon fight for survival, “finally, the croc sort of gave in”.

Travis Corlis said while crocodiles and snakes were both common in the area, he had never seen them battle each other in such a way.

Freshwater crocodiles are known to inhabit Lake Moondarra and Travis Corlis said a recent drought had seen the water level drop, making them more visible.

“I think it might just have been nature at its best,” he said.

- © AFP 2014.

Read: Crocodile snatches 12-year-old boy in Australia>

Read: Crocodile sneaks up on distracted tour guide in terrifying video>

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    Mute Mick O Callaghan
    Favourite Mick O Callaghan
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 2:40 PM

    If someone could cut 2 small holes in each side of the snake the croc could poke his legs out and we would have some crazy looking walking snake.

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    Mute Jeremiah A Craic
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 5:54 PM

    U mean a lizard?

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    Mute Mike Reid
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 2:45 PM
    61
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    Mute Lad
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 2:55 PM

    Jeebus!

    38
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    Mute mikeobrien4FM
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 4:15 PM

    Starving after looking at that…

    51
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    Mute Keetabix
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 3:31 PM

    Did anyone find the snake’s bowl of coco pops?!I’m assuming that’s why the fight broke out!

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    Mute Nicky O'Donnell
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 2:40 PM

    Well played snakey. Well played sir.

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    Mute James Patrick Smith
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 2:48 PM

    Burmese pythons can grow to 14ft and have been documented to swallow crocodiles

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    Mute Homo Erectus
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 2:58 PM

    Pythons and crocodiles are both apex predators, so if the snake is 3 times larger than the crocodile, then you have to put your money on the snake. If the python grips the croc is such a way as to neutralise its bite, then the croc is effectively disarmed and the suffocation can commence.

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    Mute NAMApropertymarket
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 2:34 PM

    Great Story!!!

    Wheres the evidence?

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    Mute David McShite
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 4:54 PM

    That’s nothing. I heard of a 21 year old white house intern who once swallowed the president of the United States! Bill survived the encounter only to subsequently fall prey to posh english actress Liz Hurley!

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    Mute Lenny Vlad Leonard
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 5:39 PM

    In 2005, a large Burmese python in Florida tried to swallow an alligator but then exploded spectacularly, perhaps simply because it was too big or it cut an artery.

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    Mute john bissett
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 5:40 PM

    There’s loads of photos and a video ya geebag.

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    Mute Terence Truant
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    Mar 4th 2014, 12:03 PM

    Source?

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    Mute Kieran Monaghan
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 7:11 PM

    Now I know what to do to that b@st@rd from Athlone.

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    Mute James Comiskey
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 2:45 PM

    There were several pictures on Twitter last night ! Must of been an amazing spectacle !

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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 5:06 PM

    Krikey!!

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    Mute John Mullen
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 3:56 PM

    That makes my bream in a pikes belly video look very tame indeed. Fantastic.

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    Mute Paul McEvoy
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 2:40 PM

    I won’t believe it until I see a photo

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    Mute Kay Tighe
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 2:50 PM
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    Mute Jackson Graham
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 2:52 PM

    http://www.pedestrian.tv/ snake eats croc 4 pictures start to finish.

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    Mute Macus Mc Mahon
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 4:28 PM

    wheres the video of the” life and death battle”, staged i’d say,

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    Mute Lenny Vlad Leonard
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 4:59 PM

    A croc of sh**e

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    Mute Peter Gaffey
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    Mar 4th 2014, 7:36 AM

    Thats what I felt like after that kebab from zam zams on Saturday night

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    Mute Michael Walsh
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    Mar 4th 2014, 9:03 AM

    It’s actually not as uncommon as you think there’s a lot of cases of this happening in Florida with alligators and pythons. Pretty incredible stuff check out YouTube for videos of other incidents. Very cool

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    Mute Louise Brennan
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 9:32 PM

    Think I’ll eat a croc today

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    Mute AICS (Steve Tracey)
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 3:45 PM

    Pst deleted why?

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    Mute Shawn Rahoon
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    Mar 3rd 2014, 6:43 PM

    The snake didn’t even batter him

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