by Scientists have captured the remarkable moment a boa constrictor ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋᴇᴅ a fully-grown howler monkey to claim it as a substantial snack.
The ɪɴᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ, which took place deep in the Amazon rainforest in Western Brazil, is rare, as monkeys are usually adept at protecting themselves from ᴘʀᴇᴅᴀᴛᴏʀs. But the footage shows the huge snake ᴄʀᴜsʜɪɴɢ the hapless monkey before sᴡᴀʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ it whole.
This has caused scientists to rethink how ᴠᴜʟɴᴇʀᴀʙʟᴇ primates can be to skilled ᴘʀᴇᴅᴀᴛᴏʀs like the boa constrictor, that usually stick to smaller meals like rodents and birds.
Júlio César Bicca-Marques, a researcher at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, said the female Purús red howler monkey did not see the snake lying in wait in the tree. The monkeys, which have good vision, usually defend themselves by living in groups and collectively keeping an eye out for ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛs. However, the poor monkey in the video separated from her group of five in the Amazon jungle before ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀɪɴɢ the snake.
The boa constrictor reportedly sᴛʀᴜᴄᴋ at the monkey and swiftly wrapped it in a ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ-ɢʀɪᴘ by coiling its muscular body around the monkey, which tried to free itself by gripping a tree, but was crushed. The snake then crouched in place, camouflaged in the foliage to wait for its next ᴘʀᴇʏ. Boa constrictors are so patient they have been known to wait in one spot for around one month.
The female monkey was followed by a companion who was unable to sᴀᴠᴇ her friend from the powerful snake, despite ʜɪᴛᴛɪɴɢ it several times. Defeated, the healthy monkey retreated, leaving the boa constrictor to sᴡᴀʟʟᴏᴡ her ᴄʀᴜsʜᴇᴅ friend head-first over a period of just over one hour.
The photo shows the snake using its ᴍᴜsᴄʟᴇs to sᴡᴀʟʟᴏᴡ the bulky monkey, which is thought to weigh around six kilogrammes – and then a rather huge bulge in its belly.
