It’s not rare to see snakes swallow big and impossible objects, but this latest news is blowing our minds. A woman had gone missing and was found in the belly of a large python 48 hours later. Wondering how this even came to be?
Keep reading for the details.
In The Snake’s Belly
A 54-year-old Indonesian grandmother suddenly went missing on October 21, 2022 on a rubber plantation near her home in Jambi. A search party gathered a began looking for her through nearby wooded areas and even called emergency services.
Jahrah (full name) was finally found lying in the stomach of a 22-foot python on Sunday, October 23, 2022. The large bulge on the snake’s stomach gave it away.
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Details According To the Head Of The Village
The bulge prompted residents to kill the snake and dissect its stomach content revealing the woman.
Pictures and videos on the internet showed members of the search party cutting deep into the giant snake’s belly to retrieve the remains of the grandmother.
Reticulated Pythons Are The Biggest Snakes
According to a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, reticulated pythons (also known as “retics”) are the biggest and longest snakes in the world and can grow as long as 28 feet while weighing up to 320 pounds.
Where They Live
They’re found in large numbers around Southeast and South Asia including Indonesia, the Philippines, India, and Borneo. While they’re quite popular with expert reptile keepers, the species are still considered difficult to handle due to their ill temperament.
Dwarf Reticulated Pythons
There are also retics that are called dwarfs ranging from 10-12 feet and super dwarfs 6-8 feet. They are commonly found on the islands northwest of Australia and are captive-bred in a full range of colors but don’t grow to the huge sizes of their mainland cousins.
Documented Cases Of Retics Swallowing Human
Before this latest incident, there were two documented cases of the retic swallowing humans both in areas of Indonesia in March 2017 and June 2018. Both were 23 feet long and were dissected revealing the bodies inside them.
Retics Diet
The natural diet of dwarf reticulated pythons are usually rodents, while the larger species feed on pigs, bearcats, civets, and even humans, so it’s not strange to see stories of human being swallowed by this dangerous predator.
Their Main Predators
Oh yes, these big guys have predators too and it is the one and only king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) which is commonly found in the same location as the reticulated python. This venomous snake can grow up to 18 feet long and its bite is toxic enough to kill an elephant.
Retics Are Super Swimmers
These large reptiles require a water source near them as they’re actually fantastic swimmers which means they can chase their prey both on land and in water.
