| 1 | Eastern bandy bandy |
One of the most snake-eating snakes in Australia. The “bandy bandy” that people see is actually the eastern bandy bandy (Vermicella annulata), the most common member of the genus. This species is easily recognisable by its black and white bands, and measures about 50-60cm.
Bandy bandies don’t just prey on snakes mainly, but one specific type: blind snakes. Australia is full of creatures like blackish blind snakes (Anilios nigrescens), which have miniscule biro pen dots for eyes and virtually no vision. Blind snakes seek out anthills by following the chemical scent trails of worker ants scurrying around. But as they stalk their prey, thinking they’re clever, they don’t realise that a large predator is stalking them: the bandy bandy.
In one study, scientists exposed bandy bandies to three prey scents, to test whether they liked reptiles more widely. The bandy bandies showed no inclination to follow the scents of yellow-bellied three-toed skinks and golden crowned snakes. They barely reacted at all. Yet they rapidly detected and eagerly followed scents of the blackish blind snake, showing what a highly specialised predator they are.
Bandy bandies have no teeth in their upper jaw behind the fangs, and with blind snakes being their main prey, they don’t particularly need them.
| 2 | Querétaro dusky rattlesnake |
Worldwide, feasting on snakes is very rare for the viper family. Cobras regularly derive 30% of their calories from snakes, and with many coral snakes, it’s over 90%. Virtually no rattlesnakes eat a large amount of snakes, nor Bothrops lanceheads in South America. But the Querétaro dusky rattlesnake (Crotalus aquilus) of southern Mexico is one of the few vipers to eat a sizeable amount.
This species lives in upland areas of Mexico rich in pine-forests. At 50-60cm (record 67.8cm), it’s one of the shortest rattlesnakes worldwide. A 2008 study examined their diet during the summer months of June-September. It found 12 prey items, which included 3 snakes, 6 mammals, and 3 lizards. Meanwhile, the red diamond rattlesnake of Arizona eats 91.6% mammals, and no snakes.
The three snakes discovered were a partially digested Mexican bullsnake, and two unidentified garter snakes (Thamnophis genus). There are serpent battles happening all over the hills of Mexico which none of us know about. In the USA, snakes are virtually non-existent in the diet of rattlesnakes, whether it’s tiger rattlesnakes or west diamondbacks. The one exception is the massasauga of the northeast, which often preys on garter snakes as well.
| 3 | Greater black krait |
A snake that moves under the shadows of darkness, which they totally blend into. Greater black kraits are part of the neurotoxic Bungarus krait genus, and have a similar snake-addicted diet to their cousins.
This species reaches a maximum of 120cm and if you see one, you should back off fast, or face paralysis and likely death. The local snakes are similarly fearful of Bungarus niger, if they’re intelligent that is. Greater black kraits are able to eat venomous snakes, including the red-tailed bamboo pitviper (Trimeresurus erythrurus). Other confirmed prey include mizo rain snakes, common mock vipers, and radiated ratsnakes.
Greater black snakes are most common in Nepal, and range all the way to southwest Myanmar. They’re much more rarely encountered than other kraits, although they have relatively flexible habitats, including village outskirts, woods and and hillsides. Greater black snakes have also been encountered in the foothills near Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, so it’s a snake that early 1900s Everest mountaineers may have met on their long treks to base camp.
| 4 | Argentinian coral snake |
The Argentinian coral snake (Micrurus pyrrhocryptus) ranges from Bolivia, through Paraguay, into the heart of Argentina. It inhabits open grassland as well as forests, unlike some coral snakes which lurk only in the darkest places. But their snake-loving diet is typical of the family, as is their severely neurotoxic venom.
The Argentinian coral snake almost has the most confirmed serpent meals of any coral snake, because of an experiment where scientists offered a captive male numerous meals and tested its reactions. The coral snake accepted all snakes offered except for one Dipsas turgida, AKA the Bolivian tree snake. Meals it happily gobbled up included…
- Annulated cat-eyed snake (Leptodeira annulata).
- Tricolour hognose snake (Xenodon pulcher).
- Guibe’s flame snake (Oxyrhopus guibei).
- Black-headed centipede-snake (Tantilla melanocephala).
- A Typhlops blind snake.
The Argentinian coral snake ate 8 Bolivian tree snakes of the 9 it was offered. They ate 6 venomous Mato Grosso lanceheads, proving that they have resistance to fellow snakes’ venom glands, at least when swallowing them (injected into their skin in a savage duel is another story). This is a snake which all other Argentinian serpents should fear.
| 5 | Polemon snake eaters |
Polemon is a snake genus found mainly in central Africa, which has 13 members, but little detailed research to its name. One fact we do know is that fellow snakes comprise the bulk of their diet – hence the name.
Polemon snake eaters generally live in forests and clearings adjacent to them, and range from the DRC in the east to Guinea in the far west. Though rarely sighted, as they lurk in leaf litter and loose soil, they’re believed to be much more common than observations would suggest. They rarely bite human beings, but have a venom capable of inflicting swelling and blisters.
There’s not much research on the individual snakes this group eats, but several blind snakes are confirmed, and Polemon members are able to eat particularly huge prey. For example, scientists were conducting research on Idjwi island in the DRC, and stumbled across an African snake-eater (Polemon fulvicollis) at the top of a hill. This snake measured 42.0cm and had a stretched body, showing that a huge prey item was inside.
This prey turned out to be a spotted blind snake (Afrotyphlops punctatus), which was ultimately measured at 36.5cm, 87% of the snake-eater’s body length. Viewed together, it was amazing that one snake could slot effortlessly into the other. The lined blind snake (Afrotyphlops lineolatus) is also confirmed prey of the African snake-eater.
Polemon snake eaters might be Africa’s equivalent of the Australian bandy bandy – nature’s natural counterbalance to prevent blind snakes from taking over. Too many blind snakes would in turn decimate ants, which could unleash who knows what consequences.
| 6 | Aesculapian false coral snake |
Aesculapian false coral snakes (Erythrolamprus aesculapii) are a mainly ground-dwelling species which inhabits dry forests, lowland tropical forests, and gallery forests, at altitudes from 0 to 2300 metres. South America is their domain, with an especially high concentration of sightings in eastern Ecuador and near Sao Paulo.
This species is a coral snake mimic, but may be the mimic which is most like an actual coral snake. Firstly, it has a powerful venom of its own, which can cause painful swelling and blisters. Secondly, Erythrolamprus aesculapii preys primarily on fellow snakes, slurped up from the leafy forest floor.
A 2020 review compiled 40 diet records of this snake, scattered around in various pieces of literature. Of these, 36 or a clean 90% were snakes. Their favourite snake genus to eat was Atractus, a group of shy burrowing snakes, which have atrophied eyes but aren’t fully blind. Meals included Atractus occipitoalbusa, A. latrifrons, and A. torquatus. Atractus contributed 15% of their meals, and the next two were the Dipsas snail-eating genus (12.5%), and their own genus, Erythrolamprus (12.5%).
The Erythrolamprus snake genus isn’t a consistent snake-eating group at all. For example, the yellow-bellied liophis (E. poecilogyrus) derives 98% of its meals from frogs and toads. But somewhere along the way, E aesculapii has acquired a funky taste for fellow serpents.
| 7 | Cape file snake |
A shy snake which likes to lurk underground in old tunnels, abandoned by the creatures that created them, as well as termite mounds. Cape file snakes (Limaformosa capensis) appear in southern Africa, especially eastern South Africa and Zimbabwe. While not the mortal enemy of all snakes like the king cobra, Limaformosa capensis is still a bogeyman which local African snakes have learnt to fear, when they make their rare appearances.
Confirmed prey of the cape file snake include the common wolf snake (Lycophidion capense) red-lipped snake (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia) and the dangerously venomous puff adder, which causes the highest number of African snakebite deaths per year. Strangely, the cape file snake isn’t at all worried about swallowing its entire venom gland with the rest of its body.
One ID sign of the cape file snake is a snowy white stripe down the centre of their back, precisely following the path of their spinal column. Its body is a triangular shape, while its scales are sharp to touch (keeled). They generally measure 120cm, and have an excellent ability to follow the scent trails of fellow snakes.
| 8 | Asian pipe snakes |
If the cape file snake is a triangular shape, then this snake is another extreme: a pure cylinder. The Asian pipe snakes (Cylindrophis) are named for their body shape, and have 14 members in southeast Asia, from Sri Lanka to Indonesia. The goal of their body shape is burrowing, for pushing through soft upper layers of soil and compacted leaf litter.
The red cylinder snake’s speciality is feeding purely on elongated, legless prey. This means a hefty serving of eels and caecilians, but also numerous snakes. Pipe snakes are also great swimmers, and are most commonly found in swampy forests.
There’s a little confusion with this snake, as originally, red cylinder snakes ranged from Thailand through all of Indonesia. In 2015, this empire was split into two species, with Jodie’s pipe snake being handed most territory north of Singapore (Thailand, Vietnam), and red cylinder snakes retaining Indonesia and Malaysia.
This means that some old dietary reports might be from one species and not the other. But across the two species, confirmed prey in their diet include puff-faced watersnakes, rice paddy snakes, Brahminy blind snakes, Flower’s blind snakes, beauty ratsnakes and checkered keelbacks. The latter two are large snakes which are non-venomous, but turn vicious and aggressive when cornered. Pipe snakes somehow navigate this obstacle while lacking any form of powerful venom. Cyldrindrophis pipe snakes are relatively short, rarely exceeding 90cm.
| 9 | California kingsnake |
If you live in California, the odds are astronomically high that you’ve encountered this snake, even if you’ve walked past it without realising. California kingsnakes are the most common snake species in the state, and if you meet one, you should thank them for preventing venomous snakes from becoming far more common.
California kingsnakes derive 25-35% of their calories from fellow snakes, 29% in one study, to be exact. They specifically love venomous rattlesnakes, including the Pacific rattlesnake, which ranked first for all snake prey, with 17 individuals being found in stomachs, beating the sidewinder rattlesnake in 2nd place. Mojave and red diamond rattlesnakes were also recorded.
California kingsnakes are proven to be resistant to southern Pacific rattlesnake venom, and weirdly, the striped kingsnake morph was more resistant than the banded. If a garter snake got jealous and tried this rattlesnake diet, they’d roll over and die in seconds (though they do have toad toxin resistance instead).
California kingsnakes reach a maximum of 142.2cm, and are no threat to human beings, with their main weapon being unusually powerful constriction.
| 10 | Cape cobra |
South Africa’s most common cobra, which measures up to 2.2 metres and slithers quickly and nimbly. Cape cobras are one of the most powerful African snakes and can take their pick from most creatures, with the exception of the mongoose and honey badger, which have evolved to resist them.
For years, cape cobras been witnessed battling thick puff adders, injecting doses of venom and standing back for a few minutes while the toxins spread. They have a reputation for hunting mole snakes, a 2 metre constrictor which invades burrows to eat mammals, but probably also to avoid cape cobras.
A 2007 report analysed their diet more technically, and found a breakdown of 32% snakes, with puff adders contributing 33% of snakes. Puff adders are powerfully venomous themselves, and can inject hundreds of milligrams per bite, showing that cape cobras have innate resistance.
The cape cobra’s venom is highly neurotoxic, capable of inflicting rapid paralysis, making it perfect for taking down fast snakes which are ordinarily great at escaping. Cape cobras are also energetic and have fast reactions, enabling them to catch prey which can still escape.