Western Natal Green snake fights huge Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko

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This is nature in hard, tough action. A c.80cm (c.31") Western Natal Green Snake (non-venomous to humans though probably mildly venomous to other small reptiles and animals) was seen before lunchtime in the rafters of the dining area at Zingela bush camp beside the Tugela River, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, on Saturday 12 January 2013. The snake discovered a very large, apparently docile and battle-worn Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko (Homopholis wahlbergii)(body length about 15cm) (which I had seen a few times in the area previously).

After attacking the gecko in the rafters, the snake and its prey fell to the floor. It's at that moment, with the gecko retaliating, that I arrived with my movie camera. The whole event lasted about 40 minutes. This is a very tightly-edited, 10-minute movie of the event with most of the battle for survival by the gecko shown, and a VERY shortened conclusion. The retaliation of the gecko was both a natural reaction (as geckos do) as well as highly intelligent by clamping the snake's mouth closed, and by holding the snake behind its head. Don't ignore the agility of the gecko to avoid being bitten on its head.

[The snake has variously been thought to be a *Philothamnus hoplogaster* [green water snake] or a *P. natalensis* [Natal green snake] or *even* a *P. angolensis* [Angola green snake] and thought to be a *Philothamnus semivariegatus* [spotted bush snake]!) London snake specialist, Lynn Raw, suggests it is a Western Natal Green Snake [*Philothamnus natalensis occidentalis*] because "The iris colour in a bush snake is orangey-red-brown while this one is dark and greenish." The gecko is thought to be very far south of its normal range - St Lucia - but, as the Tugela valley is very warm, it is thought to be suitable for this gecko.]

Видео Western Natal Green snake fights huge Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko канала Justin Waldman