FROGS EAT SNAKES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22211, 11 September 1935, Page 10

FROGS EAT SNAKES

HOMERIC STRUGGLES REPTILE PIT INCIDENTS MELBOURNE ZOO INMATES BT DAVIT) FLEAY, H.SC., Curator, Atmtralian Section Melbourne 'Zoological Gardens. Curious snake stories arc by no means uncommon the world over; but they ore usually flavoured with a great deal of imagination. However, extraordinary occurrences witnessed during the past few months in the new open-air snake enclosure of the Melbourno Zoo have convinced even the most sceptical people that unbelievable things may happen. On this island of serpents, with its trees, rocks and caverns, surrounded by a moat of water, are over a hundred adult venomous inhabitants, which, unless hungry, live in "harmony" with numbers of frogs. Anxious moments are sometimes experienced at meal time when two snakes happen to sei/.o the same frog, for, unless separated, the larger reptile swallows not only the frog but the smaller snako as well. In March, numerous families of baby Bnakes, mainly members of the tiger species, were born, averaging 30 or more to the litter; and with the arrival of the infant snakes extraordinary troubles commenced. ild kookaburras made unobtrusive visits, departing with small wriggling snakes; Nankeen night herons arrived after dark and devoured tho frogs; and, most astounding fact of all, the frogs revealed a hitherto unknown habit, and devoured many baby snakes I An Amazing Encounter These attacks on tho juvenile serpents became matters of almost everyday occurrence, though not always did honours fall to the frog. As an instance of such a fight, there occurred one nfternoon a classic duel of amazing duration. A lively young copperheaded snake, Bjin, in length, glided out from cover for a late afternoon sun-bath ■when it was spied by a small golden bell frog, 2in. in length. Slowly and; deliberately the big-eyed amphibian began to hop toward the little reptile. Tho snake sensed danger from this wet-skinned ogre and retreated; hut its pursuer persisted in approaching, and eventually the tiny serpent, forked tongue flickering rapidly in and out, was forced to turn and face its adversary. With a quick movement the frog engulfed the little snake's head and clamped its jaws fast. Then began a furious struggle, with the threshing body of the pinioned reptile writhing and twisting in all directions. Repeatedly it turned the frog upside down and coded about its head and body; but grimly the amphibian retained a hold. Half-swallowed Victim Each time the snake relaxed its struggles the frog lost no time in jerking down a little more of its victim's body. F;ive hours later, at nine o'clock in the evening, a party which was being conducted through the Australian section of the zoo by torchlight saw the frog squatting stoically in the selfsame spot, hanging grimly to the halfswallowed victim, which had almost ceased to struggle. The victor made little progress overBight. Apparently an overwrought stomach refused to speed up its functioning, and by morning- the now thoroughly dead snake still projected about 2in. from the frog's jaws. In the afternoon, 22 hours after the commencement of the struggle, the frog was photographed with the final piece of the tail just visiblo. Unmistakable evidence of the little snake's resting place showed in the curious bulge of the frog's distended abdomen. Hard "Work For Nought However, quito a tragedy now occurred, for, when the overloaded frog was picked up and posed for its picture with tho tip of its victim's tail still protruding, it became most apprehensive of the photographer's intentions. Internal disturbances of a violent nature were observed, and gradually more and more of the dead reptile's tail was regurgitated, with tho frog actually helping the disgorgement with its fore limbs. Within a few minutes, the crowning misfortune of that great swallowing feat occurred when, with the complete disgorgement of its victim, the frog had its 22 hours of hard work brought to nought. Many times sinco has a similar battle taken place, though none approaches it in duration of time involved. However, tho most amusing incident was the one in which two frogs attacked ono little snake simultaneously from opposite ends. One attacked the head, and tho other' the tail, each swallowing until at last their jaws met in the middle of the victim. Here they meditated over the problem for an hour or two until the more energetic of them made up his mind and wrested the prize fr,om the other.