Native cottonmouth consumes python being tracked by zoo in Miami
The snake’s spine, transmitter can be seen on the zoo’s x-ray
Jacob Langston, Digital Journalist
A python that had its tracking transmitter implanted by surgeons at Zoo Miami was recently found to be consumed by native cottonmouth, also known as a water moccasin. You can see the spine and the transmitter of the python inside of the cottonmouth on this x-ray, that was taken at Zoo Miami’s animal hospital. (Zoo Miami)
MIAMI, Fla. – A python in South Florida was eaten by a native cottonmouth snake, a discovery made easy after the python’s transmitter was found inside the cottonmouth.
The invasive python was being tracked by Zoo Miami and had the transmitter implanted by surgeons at the zoo.
You can see the the spine of the python and the transmitter inside of the cottonmouth snake, or water moccasin, in the X-ray images provided by Zoo Miami.
The zoo’s Facebook post points out that this isn’t the only recent incident of native species fighting back for its turf. A bobcat was documented pilfering and consuming eggs from a Burmese python in the Everglades.
