The moment an enthusiastic carpet python regurgitates a tennis ball has been captured on film.
The video, which was shared on the Townsville Snakehandler Facebook page, shows the tennis ball being carefully messaged out of the snake’s mouth in the last seconds of a delicate 20-minute procedure.
‘This snake opted to eat the incorrect stuff for lunch!’ read the Facebook status update A homeowner of Belgian Gardens noticed a 1.5-meter carpet python writhing in the backyard with a big bulge on Monday.
Snake handler Brian West was notified by the homeowner, and the carpet python was delivered to Townsville Vet Clinic’s senior veterinary nurse Trish Prendergast. According to the Facebook post, ‘the snake was transported to Trish for investigation.’ ‘We had X-rays at Townsville Vet Clinic, and we concluded that it hadn’t been down long enough for us to help him get it up!’
To get the ball out, Trish had to manage the snake for more than 20 minutes.’ Ms Prendergast told the Townsville Bulletin that she had never seen a snake swallow a tennis ball before, but that it was most likely mistaken for food.
She surmised, ‘It probably smelled like food or frogs.’ Mr West, on the other hand, told the Telegraph that snakes holding enormous objects in their mouths were not unusual. ‘Every six months, maybe,’ he added, ‘we’ll find ones with weird items in their stomachs, like golf balls and porcelain eggs.’
‘The snake will be given some R&R for a few days and will be fed regular food before being released back into the wild!’ According to the Facebook post. The video has been seen over 100,000 times since it was shared on Facebook on Wednesday afternoon.
‘It was tough for me to watch the video but impossible for me to look away.’ One Facebook user described the snake as “that terrible but really lucky snake.” ‘Wow, that’s great,’ one person commented. ‘I’m glad the snake is doing much better today.’
