Watch a Hungry Python Try to Make a Huge Gazelle It’s Afternoon Snack

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Biting off more than one can chew can sometimes result in a tummy ache. In other instances, like the one seen below here, it can result in something much more tumultuous. Let’s watch a huge python take just a bit too big of a bite. 

Python Sighting in Kenya

The next YouTube video posted below takes us to the Maasai Mara, commonly known as Masai Mara, which is located in Kenya, Africa. This video was uploaded by the Maasai Sightings YouTube channel. This page shares a short description of the events that happened in this video below.

“A recent study shows pythons’ mouths can stretch four times wider than their skulls, creating a gaping maw four to six times bigger than a similarly sized brown tree snake’s. This allows them to swallow large prey that would look impossible. However, in this sighting the prey that the African rock python was trying to swallow might have been too impossible for it to swallow.” 

African Rock Python Vs. Deer

If you didn’t know there are pythons in Africa, we can assure you that there are! Let’s find out more about the African rock python. At the start of this video, we see that this python has already completed a hunt and taken down what looks to be a gazelle, given the color, angle, and area they are located.

We can see that this python has coiled himself tightly around this gazelle and has squeezed the life out of this mammal. With every “bite” that this python takes, the tighter that his body can squeeze. You might be wondering, “How is that python able even to attempt to swallow this gazelle?” The answer can be found in this video below, where the editors state, “The python can stretch its mouth four times wider than its skull.” 

By the end of this video, this python still hasn’t been successful in getting very far. He probably realizes that he just bit off more than he can chew.

How Big is the Rock Python?

Rock pythons (Python sebae) of the family Pythonidae are found exclusively in Africa. Hence, they are often referred to as the African rock python; these pythons are no small snake.

They can weigh upwards of 200 pounds. In addition to this enormous weight, they can reach up to 10-20 feet in length. It’s worth noting that these pythons are the largest in Africa. 

It’s no wonder that this gazelle was not able to get out from the grip of this enormous 20-foot and 200-pound python squeezing himself around the gazelle’s body. 

Is It Normal for a Python to Swallow a Gazelle Whole?

This video made quite a stir on the internet because it is not every day that a videographer catches a python in the act of swallowing such a large creature. While it is uncommon to witness such a scene, pythons are known to consume mammals as large as an antelope, as well as wallabies, pigs, monkeys, and smaller animals like lizards, birds, and rodents.

The python is only limited by its own size. A smaller python would not be able to consume an animal as large as a gazelle. Rock pythons can grow from 10 to 13 feet long, so likely the larger specimens would be capable of swallowing a larger animal. While it is possible, it is not normal for a python to swallow such a large animal. Pythons typically prey on smaller animals that are easier to capture, kill, and consume.