Wildlife officials in Georgia were shocked when they discovered two seemingly lifeless snakes that had been regurgitated by a larger snake. The surprise deepened when one of the expelled snakes suddenly revived and slithered away.
In November 2023, technicians from Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encountered this unusual scene while surveying federally protected eastern indigo snakes (Drymarchon couperi) in southern Georgia, as detailed in an August 29 DNR Facebook post. The team found a 4-foot indigo snake alongside two other snakes—a young rat snake and a juvenile eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)—that had been swallowed and then expelled.
While the rat snake did not survive, the regurgitated rattlesnake showed signs of life about an hour after being found and was later seen basking in the sun instead of hiding in a burrow. Wildlife experts also noticed a large bulge in the rattlesnake’s midsection, indicating it had recently eaten a mouse.
“This unusual episode not only highlights the indigo snake’s impressive hunting skills but also the rattlesnake’s unexpected resilience,” DNR representatives stated.
Snakes eating one another is not uncommon, and meal size is rarely a deterrent. For example, in June 2022, an eastern kingsnake was filmed eating a larger timber rattlesnake, and a study in August documented a Burmese python swallowing a larger reticulated python.
However, consuming large prey can pose choking risks. In one incident, a rim rock crowned snake was found dead in Florida after choking on a centipede, and a French herpetologist saved a viperine snake from choking on an invasive fish. In the recent case, the indigo snake may have regurgitated its meal to avoid choking or due to stress caused by nearby wildlife experts.
