Huge stone pythons swallow the antelope

African stone pythons tightened, crushing antelope bones before swallowing the prey into the abdomen.

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Photographer Fred von Winckelmann from Eindhoven (Netherlands) recorded these images at Moremi National Park in Botswana.

An African stone python about 2.5 meters long squeezed the big antelope much larger than him, then swallowed it in the stomach in just 45 minutes.

The photographer said: 'For the first time in my life I saw a strange phenomenon of an African python swallowing an antelope. The python was very calm and swallowed the prey without noticing us around so I could approach very close and capture clear pictures of this reptile. When we arrived, the python swallowed the waist of the antelope. And only 45 minutes later, he swallowed the antelope. "

In order to swallow the prey larger than the body many times, the stone uses its power to wrap the prey, clenching, crushing their bones before swallowing. At the same time, its ligament and muscle system are capable of stretching abnormally.