A giant, swollen snake was captured and killed in Nigeria because it was suspected of eating a calf and killing livestock around the area. The snake was almost 1 foot wide and around 10 feet long.
The snake in question was most likely an African rock python, the continent’s largest snake.
As soon as the locals sliced open the serpent, they were shocked by what they found.
Crammed inside the snake were dozens of eggs. The reptile was not bulging because it had feasted on livestock, but because it was laden with eggs.
The snake eggs, which are considered a rare delicacy in Nigeria, were then removed and are expected to be eaten by the locals, according to the Daily Mail.
Some species of snakes are capable of producing up to 100 eggs at a time.
Nigerian commentators felt little sympathy for the snake and many users were pleased that dozens of snake births were prevented.
African rock pythons can grow up to around 16 feet and are not venomous. They kill their prey through constriction, asphyxiation and crushing. Claims dating back to the 1950s allege a 23-foot python was killed with a human infant inside, along with another animal.
This species usually eats large rodents, monkeys, warthogs, antelopes, fruit bats, monitor lizards and crocodiles. African rock pythons have also been known to eat lion, leopard and cheetah cubs.
In April, the “longest ever” captured python laid eggs before being slaughtered in Malaysia. The serpent was around 26 feet long and weighed about 550 pounds, according to Australia’s ABC Online.
A team of civil defense officers was called to capture the Malaysian snake after it was discovered under a fallen tree on a construction site.
Video shows a team member kicking the reptile while handling it. The stress from being captured caused the snake to prematurely lay her eggs.
Sources: Daily Mail, ABC Online / Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons via Daily Mail, CEN via Daily Mail
