A monster python has devoured a wallaby whole in a frightened Australian’s backyard – after record floods swept reptiles out of their habitats and into homes.
A panic-stricken resident of a town called Flying Fish Point in Queensland called a snake catcher after spotting the 13 foot (four metre) scrub python try to eat his dog last Friday.
The region was recently pounded by a monsoon and heavy floods that carried wayward crocodiles and snakes into human environments.
Shocking moment huge python is caught swallowing a whole wallaby
The snake (with its head between the hind legs and tail) caught the marsupial in Queensland
The clip show the serpent’s jaws wrapped around the hapless marsupial, putting the brutality of the animal kingdom on full display.
Snake catcher John Boettcher, 43, said: ‘When we arrived I thought: ‘wow, that is a massive snake’.
‘It was challenging to relocate it without stressing the snake out so that it doesn’t regurgitate the wallaby.
‘With all the rain we’ve had, the python must have been sent out in the open in search of a feed and that’s how it ended up in a residential area.
‘The home owner that called us was concerned as the snake had just gone after his pet German Shepard dog, which is pretty rare in this area.’
Snake catcher John Boettcher, 43, said: When we arrived I thought: wow, that is a massive snake. John is pictured bagging the huge serpent before relocating it
Scrub pythons are Australia’s largest species of snake and can grow up to 26 foot (eight metres) long.
Though they are non-venomous, they can inflict a painful bite and make a meal out of large wildlife like wallabies and even crocodiles.
The reptiles manage the stomach-churning feat by using tendons, muscles, and ligaments in their jaw for the flexibility to swallow large prey.
John said once the snake had finished consuming its prey, he would then relocate it
John said; ‘Pythons are opportunistic feeders and after the German Shepard made its escape, it happened to stumble upon the wallaby.
‘We thought it would be a great photo opportunity to show others what pythons are capable of swallowing, so we reached for the camera before anything else.
‘Once we were happy that the wallaby had been totally consumed, I bagged it up and relocated it.’
The python had made a beeline for a homeowner’s pet dog before settling on the wallaby