Nature does its job and it's amazing and creepy at the same time. A Nature and Parks Authority volunteer caught a viper devouring an innocent rabbit in the fields of the Zevulun Valley - and this is what it looks like in the photos and video.
Breakfast of Champions: Watch the documentation - Viper snake eats rabbit | Michael Lavi, Israel Nature and Parks Authority
Dotan Rotem, open space ecologist at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, explains about the venomous snake and its characteristics: "The viper is a venomous snake found in the Mediterranean region of Israel. The venom glands are located at the back of the skull and give the head a characteristic triangular structure. From the venom glands, a tube passes to the venom teeth, which are automatically removable when the viper opens its mouth. The venom teeth are hollow, and like a syringe, when the viper sticks its teeth, the venom is injected through the tooth into the prey tissue."
After that, he says, "the interesting part begins. The venom paralyzes or kills the prey (the speed depends on its size and the amount of venom injected). Venom contains various proteins, including enzymes that break down the tissues of prey and actually start digestion. Now the viper opens its jaws, which can separate from each other to swallow larger prey. When the prey reaches the stomach, it is also digested and hard residues are emitted naturally."
Injects venom and begins swallowing from the prey's head, photo: Michael Lavie, Israel Nature and Parks Authority
The viper is found throughout the Mediterranean region and even penetrates human habitations. Photo: Michael Lavie, Israel Nature and Parks Authority,
The viper opens its jaws, which can separate from each other to swallow larger prey. Photo: Michael Lavie, Israel Nature and Parks Authority,
The viper is active mainly at night but can also be seen during the day. It swims well and can cross water obstacles. Its main food is rodents, but as you can see in the pictures, it does not shy away from small rabbits either. The prey is fully swallowed, and always from the head, so that the legs do not get stuck. Such a meal can be enough for the viper for many days and even weeks.
The viper is found throughout the Mediterranean region and even penetrates human habitations. During the winter their activity decreases, but in the Israeli winter vipers can be seen active on warm days. The viper is of great importance in the food web in that it regulates populations of rodents and itself is food for birds of prey such as snake farmers and other raptors.
The viper, like all reptiles in Israel, is a protected species by law, and if encountered in human habitations or yards, contact a certified snake catcher.
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