A recent study compiled over 500 incidents of cannibalism in over 200 species of snakes, revealing that this behavior is more common than previously thought. Due to opportunistic choices, sometimes due to limited food sources or environmental stresses, snakes are likely to eat each other.
The study, published in Biological Reviews, presents the first comprehensive observation of cannibalism in snakes and suggests that this behavior has emerged repeatedly throughout the evolutionary history of carnivorous reptiles.
legless hannibal
Cannibalism in snakes has only been reported in isolated incidents, but the researchers behind the study were curious to look at patterns of behavior.
For the study, a team of Brazilian researchers spent two years examining peer-reviewed studies, books and journals to collect sightings and anecdotes of snakes eating each other. Researchers have divided cases into different types of cannibalism, such as those occurring between mated pairs, rivals or snakes from the same family.
The review found that cannibalism may have emerged independently at least 11 times during the evolutionary history of snakes. Some incidents occurred due to lack of food, with snakes eating each other as a last resort. Other incidents occurred in captivity, where confinement and limited food supplies pushed the snakes towards cannibalism.
These occurrences span across various snake species. Elapids, the family of snakes that also includes cobras, are responsible for about 19% of cannibalism incidents. On the other hand, blind snakes were the only major group not involved in recorded incidents. This is most likely because this particular group of snakes never developed the unfused lower jaw that allows them to open their own jaws wide enough to swallow another one.
snake like behavior
The recent study takes a comprehensive look at cannibalistic behavior among snakes, but there are likely many more incidents that have not been recorded.
Overall, this early glimpse into the world of timid reptiles allows scientists to better understand the behavior of snakes, and how far they will go to survive in less-than-suitable conditions.
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