Python died of swallowing porcupines

A terrain biker found the African python dead in the reserve, his stomach swollen from swallowing a porcupine.

Python died of greed

According to the Telegraph, the python discovered yesterday in Eland Conservation Area Game Lake South Africa is about 120 km south of Durban, South Africa. In the belly of the python is a hedgehog weighing nearly 14 kg, its spine pierces the predator's gastrointestinal tract.

Picture 1 of Python died of swallowing porcupines
The dead python has an unusually bulging belly.(Photo: Telegraph)

Hornbeam is one of the largest pythons in the world. It kills prey by crushing the victim to death. Python can swallow large prey such as wild boar or horny antelope.

" It falls off the ledge. We don't know if it died before or after the fall, because the fall caused the porcupine to pierce the python's digestive system ," said Jennifer Fuller, director of the reserve. According to her, it is impossible to determine the exact cause of the death of the python.

Snake expert Johan Marais was surprised to learn that the python died of eating porcupines.

" Python still eats porcupines without any trouble ," Marais said. " However, if disturbed after eating, the python's natural reaction is to vomit the prey so that the body is light and easy to escape. In this case, perhaps the porcupine thorn has made it choke. I'm sure sure he died because of that. "

Picture 2 of Python died of swallowing porcupines
The nearly 14 kilogram pimples removed from the python belly.(Photo: Telegraph)