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A huge snake has won a life-and-death battle against a crocodile in Australia, swallowing the creature whole after a long struggle before amazed onlookers.
Travis Corlis, who watched the fight at Queensland's Lake Moondarra, near the outback mining town of Mount Isa, on Sunday, said the snake was about three metres long and "healthy looking".
The crocodile, which the python coiled itself around, was about a metre in length, he said.
"They had quite the struggle in the water," he said. "It was an ongoing battle. We were just standing there in amazement watching it."
Corlis said several hours after he first saw the encounter, he noticed the snake had pulled the crocodile on to the bank of the lake and released its prey, which by this stage was dead.
"About 10 minutes later the crocodile was gone," he said, referring to the creature being eaten.
His wife Tiffany described the battle as "just unbelievable".
"We were sort of thinking that the snake had bitten off a little more than it could chew," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "But it did. It actually ate the crocodile.
"When you actually looked at the snake, you could actually see the crocodile's ridges, legs and everything inside its belly."
She said the crocodile had struggled to keep its head out of the water, and while both animals had clearly tired during their marathon fight for survival, "finally, the croc sort of gave in".
Travis Corlis said that while the crocodiles and snakes were both common in the area, he had never seen them clash in such a way.
Freshwater crocodiles, smaller than their saltwater cousins, are known to inhabit Lake Moondarra and a recent drought had seen the water level drop, making them more visible.
"I think it might just have been nature at its best," he said.


Snake vs crocodile! Huge python gobbles down reptile after hours-long battle

A mobile-phone picture of the deadly struggle. Photo: EPA

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Travis Corlis, who watched the fight at Queensland's Lake Moondarra, near the outback mining town of Mount Isa, on Sunday, said the snake was about three metres long and 'healthy looking'.
