Watch: Ambitious boa constrictor tries to swallow a huge iguana
We’ve seen overambitious constrictors get into trouble at dinnertime before, and this boa filmed in the mangroves of Mexico is joining their ranks.
A group marine biology students spotted the large snake during a field trip in a mangrove conservation area in Campeche, which sits on the western coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, reports Newsflare. The region boasts miles of mangrove-covered coast, and is home to abundant wildlife.
The boa had coiled itself around an impressively large meal: a black spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura similis). Males of the species can reach 1.3 meters in (over 4ft) in length (females are a little smaller), so it’s no wonder this dinner was taking a long time to go down.
We don’t know exactly how the boa got hold of its prize, but the snakes typically hunt by ambush. And since black spiny-tailed iguanas are among the planet’s speediest lizards, we’re guessing this one was caught off-guard before it could make its getaway.
While smaller mammals and birds are the usual boa fare, the snakes have been known to try their luck with prey as large as the crab-eating fox – and this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a big iguana on the menu.