We’ve featured a number of amazing nature scenes that play out on our website, but this might be the most dramatic yet.

Photographer Marcos Rodriguez witnessed and photographed a wild, 20-minute battle between a large heron and the snake that was going to be its meal.

In the dramatic images, we see the way the snake wrapped itself around its attacker. Captured in the Orlando Wetlands, this blue heron takes on a very defensive banded water snake, which refuses to give up easily.

The photographs are wild to witness, as this snake puts up an amazingly strong fight, completely wrapping itself around the heron’s beak, head, and neck.

See more of Rodriguez’ images on Instagram.

Images ยฉ Copyright Marcos Rodriguez. Used with permission.

How did this epic battle end? Rodriguez says that after a prolonged 20 minute struggle, the snake finally relents, and the heron makes it a well deserved meal.

A great blue heron holding a snake in its beak, surrounded by greenery.

Never never ceases to surprise and amaze us…

A great blue heron in a marsh environment with green foliage, holding a banded water snake in its beak.
The heron finally overcomes the snake, and makes it its meal.

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7 Comments

  1. You either eat or be eaten. And in the case of US fast food, I don’t know which is more applicable!

  2. Lawrence Monteiro

    We fight and eat to live, not eat and live to fight.

  3. I canโ€™t watch this or look at it. If Iโ€™m there I try to separate them. I just can watch predation. I know it happens but I canโ€™t watch without helping the prey *this time*, the time there.

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