Miami Zoo x-ray shows python and its transmitter inside cottonmouth snake

Miami Zoo x-ray shows python and its transmitter inside cottonmouth snake
By Sarah Rumpf

Published August 23, 2022
Fox News

"You may have heard in the news about the bobcat that was documented stealing and consuming eggs from an invasive Burmese python in the Everglades," Miami Zoo captioned the post. "But, that isn't the only native species that is fighting back! A python that had its tracking transmitter implanted by surgeons at Zoo Miami was recently found to be consumed by another snake; a native cottonmouth, also known as a water moccasin. You can see the spine and the transmitter of the python inside the cottonmouth on this x-ray, or radiograph, that was taken at Zoo Miami's animal hospital."

The Miami Zoo said it was tracking the Burmese python, but were unable to find it until they made an unexpected discovery. The python with the tracker device was instead found in a slightly larger native cottonmouth snake.
https://i.imgur.com/sBJj8Zj.jpg
The x-ray image shows a 43-inch cottonmouth that ate a 39-inch Burmese python in the Florida Everglades.

The spine of the Burmese snake was consumed first, according to the x-ray, with the curving spine of the python stretched out inside the engorged cottonmouth. The image also shows the radio transmitter that was attached to the python when it was consumed.
https://i.imgur.com/Ugi8POP.jpg
Viewers on social media were stunned, with the post garnering over a thousand shares.

"Florida native species built different" one person commented.

"Look at this craziness!" another said.

Some commenter wondered if the cottonmouth was able to pass the transmitter. According to one commenter, it did, and the transmitter was recovered a week later.

Sarah Rumpf is a Fox News Digital Production Assistant. You can reach her on Twitter at @rumpfsarahc

All I can say is WOW!!! :salute: :gj: :bow: :D You GO, Cottonmouths! :snake2:

Holy slithers! That's a pretty good sized meal for that little guy. Good for him.

I wonder if the Burm explosion in the Everglades was partially due to the local predators giving the unfamiliar baby burms a pass. Hopefully, as they come to recognize the babies as a food source, they'll bring back balance to that glorious ecosystem.

I had no idea that cottonmouths were snake-eaters.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

I had no idea that cottonmouths were snake-eaters.

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Me either. I looked it up before posting the article, because I didn't want to share misinformation.

"The spine of the Burmese snake was consumed first."

Aren't snakes basically all spine? How else would it have been eaten? :confusd:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

"The spine of the Burmese snake was consumed first."

Aren't snakes basically all spine? How else would it have been eaten? :confusd:

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I think they meant the tail, since it looks like the head was swallowed last. That must have tickled on the way down, with the scales going against the grain... fascinating article. I won't deny I shuddered when comparing the size of that monitor chip to the size the snake must have been, almost as much as I shuddered when I found out how large the pedicle screws in my spine actually are.