1. ITV Report

Snake battles, kills and eats crocodile

A battle between a water python and a crocodile has been caught on camera in Australia - ending in the snake devouring the entire crocodile whole.

Witness Alyce Rosenthal told the Brisbane Times the full encounter could have lasted up to five hours. Credit: Tiffany Corlis

Tiffany Corlis of Queensland spotted the struggle at the state's Lake Moondarra and took a series of photographs as the events unravelled.

Tiffany, an author who self-publishes with her husband on their website, told ABC North West Queensland Radio she was eating breakfast by the lake when she saw the two animals "fully wrapped up and... pretty much laying there".

It reportedly took over three hours for the crocodile to give up the fight, even before the snake began its feast. Credit: Tiffany Corlis
Witness Alyce Rosenthal told the Brisbane Times the two combatants were at the point of exhaustion by the end of the struggle. Credit: Tiffany Corlis

‘‘[The crocodile] was fighting at the start, so it was trying to keep its head out of water and survive,’’ the Brisbane Times reported her as saying.

But as the morning sort of progressed, you could tell that both of them were getting a little weaker.

Finally, the croc sort of gave in and the snake had uncoiled for a little while and had a brief break and then actually started to consume the crocodile.

– Tiffany Corlis
According to the BBC, Ms Corlis said it appeared to take the snake around 15 minutes to eat the crocodile. Credit: Tiffany Corlis

Ms Corlis said a group of canoeists at the scene had watched the encounter for about three hours before she arrived.

She told ABC she thought the consumption of the crocodile would have taken "another good hour or two" on top of that.

The outline of the crocodile from within the snake can be seen showing through its skin. Credit: Tiffany Corlis