Predator to snakes – Snakes are scary reptiles that even become human predators. But beyond that, it turns out that there are many animals that eat these snakes. Some of these animals become snake predators and even snakes become their food. What are the predators to snakes? Let’s see one by one below.
Need to remember:
- Snakes are a species of reptile
- Snakes are egg-laying and cold-blooded animals, snakes eat other animals and eggs as food. Snakes prefer warm climates and they hibernate during winter
- There are many animals and types of birds that eat snakes as food.
We know that snakes are one of the animals that are dangerous even for humans themselves. There are 3000 species of snakes on this earth and of that only 200 are truly dangerous to humans. However, most people are afraid of all kinds of snakes and avoid them even from their path. Here are some facts about snakes that can amaze you and have never been thought of before.
- Snakes are found all over the world except Ireland, Antarctica, New Zealand and Greenland
- There are various islands around the world that are inhabited by many snakes and tourists are prohibited there
- Snakes are cold-blooded animals, and they do not have the ability to regulate their body temperature
- Snakes eat by swallowing their food whole
Even though snakes are frightening to most creatures, there are also various types of animals and birds that actually eat snakes as food. There are many birds that have the ability to knock a snake down, catching it off guard in either the jungle or the desert. The following is a list of animals that become predators to snake.
Top 10 Animals That Predator to Snakes
1. Wolverines
Wolverine is a cruel but non-discriminatory snake predator, wolverine can eat anything he encounters. Among its food are rodents, rats, worms, rabbits, frogs, birds and snakes can be prey.
Surprisingly, it is even stated that wolverines can defeat even cobras.
Wolverine is a member of the weasel family, it looks small but he is a big member of the family. Wolverines are powerful and versatile predators and scavengers. It is a muscular, solitary, and stocky creature. When attacking birds, it climbs trees and spends a lot of time on it.
However, the wolverine is not a sedentary animal, it even moves 15 miles per day in search of food. In fact, he digs burrows just to look for other animals that are hibernating like snakes.
2. Mongoose
The mongoose is another predatory animal against snakes, the mongoose is very easy to defeat snakes because according to some people the mongoose has an anti-snake poison receptor called acetylcholine. These receptors they are immune to snake venom.
Apart from that, if you are hit by a snake’s fangs, of course this is very unpleasant and the mongoose relies on speed to get away from the snake’s benchmark. Even if you get bitten by a snake, it won’t be that dangerous because your body already has anti-snake venom (immune to poison).
Civets are members of the genus Herpestes, where they live in warm regions such as Africa, Asia, Southern Europe. The mongoose prefers snakes as food.
Among the other animals included in this genus are the Angolan slender mongoose (H. flavescens), the common slender mongoose (H. sanguineus), the Cape gray mongoose (H. pulverulentus), and the Egyptian mongoose (H. ichneumon).
3. Kingsnakes
The king snake is one of the animals that is also known as a predatory animal against other snakes. He did not hesitate to kill his cousin with constriction. This is common in the snake kingdom such as in the desert or forest. It is rumored that in order for them to gain “king” status, he must kill another snake.
Kingsnake is an animal that many people keep. This is a predator in the family Colubridae, they tend to have three types of colors. Other species in this family are the milk snake, red king snake, they also eat lizards. The world of science says that both types of creatures are fake coral snakes, because their colors mimic the color of venomous coral snakes.
4. Snake Eagle
Snake eagle is a fearsome enemy for snakes, this eagle’s ability to decapitate and tear snakes is not in doubt. He can also swallow a snake whole even when it’s flying though. Indeed he is smaller than the eagle in general, but the snake eagle will look big when he soars. The snake sees food, dives, grabs the reptile with its claws. This eagle attacks when it is in the air and immediately the snake that becomes its prey is helpless.
The eagle’s legs are not only strong but it also has scales on its feet as a serious protection from various threats. This thick layer also cannot be penetrated by any poison. This is what easily makes the snake eagle able to eat various types of snakes and even it is a predator to cobras.
Apart from hunting snakes, this type of eagle also likes to hunt rodents, fish, lizards and eat bats.
5. Bobcats
Every chance he gets, Bobcat always likes to chase animals that are smaller than him. He likes to hunt rabbits, snakes, rodents, lizards and eggs. Even bobcats love to chase white-tailed rattlesnakes and rattlesnakes in the desert. If the Bobcat sees something moving, it will chase it and if it finds it will be eaten.
These small animals are often solitary, marking the boundaries of their territory. It can overlap with some of the females it finds and holds up to 40 miles of land and claims its territory. Bobcats are rarely seen, perhaps they are shy, and often roam at night and whenever they meet a human, they always run away. Bobcats sleep in rock crevices, they climb fences, shrubs, and climb hollow trees.
6. Hedgehogs
Hedgehog is one of the predators to snakes, this is not an ordinary animal, it also has immunity to various types of poisons. So do not be surprised if he is often seen eating a lot of venomous animals safely and without any effect. Hedgehogs often eat scorpions, frogs, beetles, bees, spiders and snakes. This animal consumes its prey as much as 1/3 of its body weight. It chews insects, plants, small vertebrates and small animals that are sick because of fighting with other animals.
There is also a Hedgehog that lives by hunting small insects, the hedgehog is a combination of herbivores, insectivores, and carnivores or can be said as omnivores. Hedgehogs will eat anything that is available including plants. These animals sometimes also do not eat for a long time. In a controlled environment, porcupines were observed not eating for up to 2 months even without food and without water.
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7. Scottish Terriers
The Scottish Terrier is a dog species that is curious about snakes and they eat them. The Scottish Terrier is a special dog that was bred for hunting and killing, it is said to be included in the Rat Terriers and Airedales.
These dog breeders trained him to look for moving animals, and they also looked for snakes if he saw them move. So, the Scottish Terrier is mentioned as one of the predators to snakes.
Many people regard the Scottish Terrier as a companion animal who is agile and independent and very tall. The Scottish Terrier has a sharp gaze, strong hearing so that he can easily pounce on many moving objects, even snakes.
This dog looks professional and clever at your home, if there is a snake or its eggs, the Scottish Terrier will easily fight it or eat it.
8. Honey Badger
Another predator to snakes is the Honey Badger, he is like a hedgehog that is immune to snake standards, he even follows snakes, according to him snakes are special food, he watches dense bushes, trees, and even digs to find other animals to eat. make it a victim.
In the warm season, these animals can produce quite a lot of snakes as prey. But now, science cannot explain the poison immunity of the honey badger, because one day the honey badger fainted while eating the head of a paff adder. After eating, he appeared to be dead but after two hours he woke up and staggered.
There are also reports that the animal has a strong poison, but this poison does not have any adverse effect on the honey badger.
9. King Cobra
The King Cobra is the longest venomous in the world, some of which are up to 18 feet and one of the special menus is other snakes. In scientific language, this animal is called Ophiophagus hannah or translated as ‘snake eater’. Indeed, these animals eat large cold-blooded lizards, so it seems that lizards do live to keep snakes in their food chain.
The King Cobra is a deaf animal, but it uses a keen sense of smell, it is very swift and ready for its prey after smelling it. Then the cobra will hunt, the cobra will usually eat the snakehead fish first because this can improve digestion.
Interestingly, some king cobras eat only one type of snake during their lives. That’s the cobra food chain in this world.
10. Secretary Bird
There is another one on this list that is a predator to snakes, this is the secretary bird. The secretair bird has a predatory force that is stronger than its body as much as 5 times its body weight. When it drops itself while preying it will make the big snake fall down in an instant. Secretary birds with a height of up to 4 feet can easily find their prey while walking. This is different from other birds that look for prey from the air, such as snake eagles.
Another uniqueness of this secretary bird is killing its prey by trampling it with its feet.
This bird takes advantage of its speed so that it can turn snakes into prey. He can powerfully and accurately land punches on his opponent’s head. If not fast, the secretary bird is likely to be caught.
In fact, this bird can move very quickly and hit accurately, if the first kick lands well, then the next can be easily managed.
