Nothing to see here, just a squirrel eating a snake
In the expected chain of who eats who, snakes play the predators and squirrels are the prey. But this snake-eating rock squirrel begs to differ.
The squirrel and its unusual meal were caught on camera by a ranger in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas, and shared online by the United States Department of Interior recently. Ranger William Leggett snapped the photo after hearing a commotion and finding the rock squirrel locked in a battle with the snake, ABC reports.
“The squirrel devoured most of the snake, bones and all, down to the last two inches,” says an update on the department’s Facebook page.
If you mostly think of squirrels as happy acorn-eating herbivores, a closer look at their menus might surprise you. While the rodents are usually happy to stick to a plant-based diet, some species do eat meat. Insects, earthworms, the occasional egg pilfered from a nest, and yes, even snakes are all food as far as rock squirrels are concerned.
“Rock squirrels eat mostly plant material, fruits and nuts, but don’t let their humble appearance fool you. They will also eat bird eggs, lizards and snakes,” the department adds.