A Northeast Florida resident heard a frog singing outside of their room, so they tried to video the performance.
However, they eventually realized that they were looking at the harsher reality of nature when they saw the frog being eaten by a snake.
On Reddit's r/whatsthissnake, they wrote, "I was sitting in my Florida room when I heard a weird animal sound and started recording the cute frog and then noticed at the end the poor guy was some snake's lunch."
Here's what to know
The original poster was so focused on the frog's unique chirps that they didn't realize it was facing a grim fate.
The Redditor added, "The snake is shown in most of the video; I don't know how I managed to miss it; but I'm focused on the frog so not sure how clear it'll be."
(Click here to watch the video if it doesn't appear.)
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Because their cats spend time in the Florida room, they said they wanted help identifying the snake, adding that it was the second one they had seen. One commenter pointed out it was a North American racer.
More background
According to iNaturalist, North American racers are native to North America and Central America and have 11 subspecies.
Florida Museum noted that while they are nonvenomous, they may bite if they see the need to defend themselves.
What can be done?
As humans continue to build developments into wildlife habitat, encounters can happen in places people might not expect. Overlapping habitats or easy access to food can make wildlife sightings even more common.
Keeping yards clear of debris, covering trash, and keeping pet food indoors can reduce the risk of rodents, a favored food source for snakes.
When spotting a snake, it can be difficult to determine if it is poisonous or not. That's why it's best to maintain a safe distance and call local animal services to assist. If you are unfortunate enough to be bitten, contact a medical professional immediately.
Where can I learn more?
A surprise snake sighting can quickly become a lesson in how these animals behave around people and pets.
• In Fulshear, Texas, an officer bare-handed a rat snake in a neighborhood already prone to alligator sightings.
• A pet owner learned a strange mouth movement after warming a snake was completely normal.
• In Australia, rescuers said a homeowner killed a red-bellied black snake, leaving snake catchers devastated.
An unexpected encounter can raise questions about safety, behavior, and living alongside wildlife. For this Florida resident, though, it was simply a real-time animal documentary.
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