Stork vs python

An epic battle between species as this black-necked stork and coastal carpet python face off in Alderley, Queensland.

By AG STAFF • Reading Time: < 1

Image credit: Ryan Lee

This week’s reader photo was taken by Ryan in Alderley, Queensland.

“This coastal carpet python (Morelia spilota mcdowelli) had been getting attacked continuously by this black-necked stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) for more than half an hour and I thought the snake was about to throw in the towel. The battle had moved from 2 inch deep mud to the grass and the stork had the python by its tail for a lot of the time to keep its head away.

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The stork would repeatedly pull then drop the snake’s tail and then stab down hard (hence the blood on its beak) and then pick up the tail again. It looked like a domination masterclass. Suddenly out of nowhere a half an hour later, the stork looked to get complacent and the snake reared up and went for a couple of strikes and I could not believe it – the stork eventually backed off. Epic!”

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