Snake Swallows 'Half Of His Body' Mistaking Own Bottom For Another Reptile

In a bizarre incident caught on camera, a snake in Pennsylvania “swallowed almost half of his body.” The incident took place Friday and the video was captured by Jesse Rothacker, of Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary in Elm.

Rothacker, who posted the video to the sanctuary’s Facebook page, said he spotted the kingsnake at the facility. The reptile, which often preys on other snakes, including venomous copperheads and rattlesnakes, mistook its bottom half for another snake.

“They will sometimes see their own tail, they’ll think it’s a snake, they’ll take a bite out of it, and they’ll realize they’ve bit themselves,” Rothacker said. “They don’t usually swallow themselves. But today, we’re going to see a kingsnake that, I don’t know, might not have done very well on the SATs.”

Rothacker rescued the snake by first trying to get it to release itself by tapping it on its nose. When the kingsnake refused to let go, Rothacker was forced to use his fingernail to pry the fangs loose and pull the snake from its mouth.

Rothacker said the snake was adopted Sunday.