A nature photographer has captured the precise moment a snake immobilized a lizard with its venomous bite before swallowing it whole.
Dao Tan Phat, 28, witnessed the ruthless killing at Dong Nai Culture nature reserve in Vietnam.
He said: ‘I was quite amazed but took advantage of an opportunity to photograph them.
‘After seeing the snake bite the lizard, I tried to get as near as possible to take pictures. I didn’t want to lose the moment.
‘I think I’m so lucky to have witnessed this.’
In the space of just a few minutes, the attack was over and there was no trace of the lizard left. It is rare to get so close to a snake to witness the entire attacking ritual, and photographer Dao Tan Phat said he felt ‘so lucky’ to capture it. Due to the transparency of the snake, it is possible to see the head and body of the lizard inside it on the way to its stomach
Nature photographer Dao Tan Phat, 28, was observing the snake at the Dong Nai Culture nature reserve in Vietnam when it struck – first biting the lizard to paralyse it with its venom, then swallowing it whole. The Boiga Cyanea is sometimes called the Green Cat Snake – with a head distinctly broader than its neck and large eyes with vertical pupils
The Boiga Cyanea is a Colubrid snake species found in South Asia, China and South-east Asia. They can grow to 190 cm in length and eat geckos and lizards, but they will also eat small mammals, birds, eggs, other snakes, and frogs. Although they are mildly venomous, they are usually thought of as harmless to humans because they are rarely aggressive, and their bites are unlikely to cause anything worse than mild local swelling, pain and bruising. This also means they are sometimes kept as pets