Snakes have an incredibly flexible jaw structure that allows them to swallow prey several times larger than their own heads. But even if you know this, it’s still incredible to watch. A viral video shows a relatively small snake attempting to swallow an egg that appears impossibly big next to the size of its mouth. And yet . . . well, you’ll just have to watch. (Just don’t watch if you’re eating a meal of your own.)
Raul Barbosa posted the video in December, and well over 2 million people have liked it. Barbosa doesn’t name the snake species, but it’s likely in the Dasypeltis genus, a group of more than a dozen species of egg-eating snakes.
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“Engole ou não?” wrote Barbosa in his viral Instagram post sharing the video. (Translating Portuguese to English, this means: “Swallow or not?”) The snake’s first attempt at wrapping its mouth around the egg makes the task look impossible, but you just have to wait for it.
Watch as a snake attempts to swallow an egg several times the size of its head:
Well, That Just Happened.
The snake likely exceeded your expectations by not only swallowing the egg whole but also regurgitating the egg shell. It’s one thing to know that this happens out there in the wild, and it’s another thing entirely to watch it happen.
Header stock image by David A. Northcott via Getty