Two Snakes and Frog

As part of HSBC bird race; The "Gang" ( Myself, Arjun, Satish, Akshay and Chandrashekar) left to Hesarghatta lake early in the morning on 18 Jan 2009. After few drives on the lake bed and scores of bird recorded including the "Pale harrier ", We decided it was time to go back and were driving on the pathway; Suddenly we noticed a car with few INW guys parked next to the snake on the road and Satish who was driving the car stopped, what we saw was a "Rat snake" with its head buried in a hole.

We were not sure what made the snake so docile as it was not alarmed by the car!! ( which usually is the case). Before we could ascertain the reason, we saw another snake , a "Spectacled Cobra" move towards the Rat snake.

It raised its hood ......

Moved closer......

and attacked the rat snake.... may be the venom was injected

The stunned rat snake , came out of the hole, regurgitated its victim!!! and to our shock it was a "Bull Frog"

and vanished .. to die peacefully may be! The cobra also left the scene showing no interest in the "Bull Frog"

We stepped out of the car to examine the frog and to our surprise, it was alive with some bite marks.

and it rushed back to its hole !!!!!!

We continued our journey awestruck by the series of the events we witnessed.


--- Goutham R