Carpet python eats a possum while hanging upside down

Extraordinary footage has emerged of a carpet python consuming a possum while dangling from a roof rafter in a shed. See the video.

A snake eats a possum while hanging upside down from ceiling rafter.

Extraordinary footage has emerged of a carpet python holding onto a possum it is attempting to eat while dangling from a roof rafter in an impressive show of strength.

The impressive show of strength from the reptile was captured by Carolyn Bock, with the video going viral online after it was uploaded to Facebook.

Mrs Bock said she was amazed by what she saw.

“It’s not something people get to see very often, it is an unusual thing to see,” Mrs Bock said.

“It looked like a tube with no head, because the whole head was stretched out over the size of the animal.”

It is the second such sighting captured on video this snake season, after footage emerged of a carpet python hanging upside down from a tree with a possum in its mouth for 12 hours on Saturday, January 6.

Experienced snake catcher Stuart McKenzie was impressed by the “show of strength” from the snake.

“The carpet python has caught itself a decent-sized possum on a roof rafter and often it can be pretty hard for the snake to balance on the rafters and consume the meal at the same time,” Mr McKenzie said.

“They do often find themselves holding on to it and dangling from a certain area.

“It was a pretty awesome show of strength.”

Footage of this carpet python wrangling a possum on the Sunshine Coast has gone viral on social media. Picture: Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7.

It comes days after an eye-catching image of a carpet python with a belly full of food had attracted attention on social media.

Mr McKenzie confirmed the python captured on video wrangling the possum, is different to the python seen with a massive prey item inside its belly.

This photo of a python digesting a big feed has gone viral on social media. Picture: Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7.

“They were two different snakes, but they do usually look for bigger prey items at this time of year, they are capable of swallowing food times five times bigger than their heads, so a possum or a chicken is a pretty easy feed for them.”

Mr McKenzie issued a timely reminder for people not to interfere with snakes if they sight them at home.

“It can be pretty confronting for some people to see something like that, a lot of people try to save the animal being eaten, but it is important not to interfere,” he added.

“Just leave it be and watch nature at work.”

A red-bellied black snake was also recently filmed in the boot of a Moreton Bay man, who got a fright when he made the discovery.

Originally published as Carpet python eats a possum while hanging upside down