WARNING: GRAPHIC PICTURES
A huge python has devoured a wallaby whole in a frightened Australian's backyard, after record floods swept reptiles out of their habitats and into homes.
The panic-stricken resident of Queensland's Flying Fish Point called a snake catcher after spotting the 13-foot (four metres) scrub python when it came close to eating his dog last Friday. And it wasn't just a small, snack-sized Jack Russell, either - the snake was trying to chow down on a German Shepherd. Must've been hungry.
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The region was recently pounded by a tandem monsoon and heavy floods that carried wayward crocodiles and snakes into human environments. Which, as you can imagine, isn't really ideal.
The video shows the serpent's jaws wrapped around the hapless marsupial, putting the brutality of the animal kingdom on full display.
Snake catcher John Boettcher, 43, said: "When we arrived I thought, 'Wow, that is a massive snake.'" He's not daft, is he?
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John continued: "It was challenging to relocate it without stressing the snake out so that it doesn't regurgitate the wallaby. With all the rain we've had, the python must have been sent out in the open in search of a feed and that's how it ended up in a residential area.
"The home owner that called us was concerned as the snake had just gone after his pet German Shepherd dog, which is pretty rare in this area."
Scrub pythons are Australia's largest species of snake and can grow up to eight metres long.
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Though they are non-venomous, they can inflict a painful bite and make a meal out of large wildlife like wallabies and even crocodiles.
The reptiles manage the stomach-churning feat thanks to their flexible jaws, which use a different type of hinge to those on human jaws, and are loaded with tendons, muscles, and ligaments that enable them to swallow large prey.
John said: "Pythons are opportunistic feeders and after the German Shepard made its escape, it happened to stumble upon the wallaby.
"We thought it would be a great photo opportunity to show others what pythons are capable of swallowing, so we reached for the camera before anything else." Bet the wallaby was really pleased with the efforts to save it.
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John concluded: "Once we were happy that the wallaby had been totally consumed, I bagged it up and relocated it."
And just like that, another day in the office came to a close Down Under.
Featured Image Credit: CatersTopics: World News, Weird, Animals, Australia