Snakes have a pretty bad rep. Largely misunderstood, feared in folklore and all too often the victims of mottos like "the only good snake is a dead one", these slithering serpents typically arouse terror rather than curiosity. So we were delighted that Rob Muir, a resident of Pietermaritzburg, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, falls into the latter category. After spotting a brown house snake making a meal of a blue-headed lizard outside his home, he opted to reach for a camera instead of turning tail.

The result is an awesome photo sequence that shows the fascinating event in all its reptilian glory. Click on the image to view the full gallery.

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Hanging Out

House snakes are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and typically feed on rodents, small lizards, and even birds.

 1 1 Hanging Out
Getting a Grip

These common snakes often settle in residential areas (but don't worry, they are not venomous).

 2 2 Getting a Grip
Wrap it Up

House snakes, like pythons, are contrictors and kill their prey by 'squeezing the life out of it'. Although there is some debate regarding how prey is actually killed during constriction, it has been suggested that the tight squeezing action causes a rise in pressure in the prey's body cavity resulting in immediate cardiac arrest.

 3 3 Wrap it Up
Headfirst

The unfortunate victim in this attack is a blue-headed tree agama. They are pretty common in KwaZulu-Natal, but are also found from Eritrea, south through East Africa and further west to Botswana. 

 

 4 4 Headfirst
A Massive Meal

The meal did present some problems for the snake ... "His head so was fat he couldn't fit back under the roof tile!" - Rob Muir, photographer.

 5 5 A Massive Meal
Previous Next
Hanging Out

House snakes are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and typically feed on rodents, small lizards, and even birds.

 1 Hanging Out
Getting a Grip

These common snakes often settle in residential areas (but don't worry, they are not venomous).

 2 Getting a Grip
Wrap it Up

House snakes, like pythons, are contrictors and kill their prey by 'squeezing the life out of it'. Although there is some debate regarding how prey is actually killed during constriction, it has been suggested that the tight squeezing action causes a rise in pressure in the prey's body cavity resulting in immediate cardiac arrest.

 3 Wrap it Up
Headfirst

The unfortunate victim in this attack is a blue-headed tree agama. They are pretty common in KwaZulu-Natal, but are also found from Eritrea, south through East Africa and further west to Botswana. 

 

 4 Headfirst
A Massive Meal

The meal did present some problems for the snake ... "His head so was fat he couldn't fit back under the roof tile!" - Rob Muir, photographer.

 5 A Massive Meal
closed

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