Source: The North West Star
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SNAKE versus crocodile – who would win the contest?
The real life drama was played on the banks of Lake Moondarra on Sunday afternoon.
Marvin Muller captured the tussle on his camera as the python strangled its prey and then digested it on the edge of the lake.
Local, Les Rayner arrived as the python was thrashing around in the water strangling the crocodile, which he estimated to be about 45 centimetres in length.
He said he watched in awe for over an hour until the python had digested the crocodile and looked “pretty fat”.
He said he watched in awe for over an hour until the python had digested the crocodile and looked “pretty fat”.
Mount Isa snake handler Gavin Lawrence said on Monday the species was extremely strong and opportunistic when it comes to finding food sources.
"They do get quite large and if the opportunity arises for them they will pretty much take on anything they can,'' he said.
Mr Lawrence said he had previously witnessed a large olive python eating a kangaroo in the district, but he had not seen one take on a crocodile.
He said he had regularly sighted olive pythons at Lake Moondarra.
Mr Lawrence said the pythons presented no threat to humans and were generally quite placid.
He said the python captured by onlookers on Sunday was reportedly under three metres long, which was relatively small for the species.
He said he had come across the skin of an olive python that was around five metres in length near Mount Isa in the past.
Mr Lawrence said recent dry conditions meant a lot of snakes had been laying low but recent rainfall may have led it seek food.