Yellow Crowned Night Heron vs Mud Snake

I was walking along 40 Acre Lake at Brazos Bend State Park on the evening of May 7, 2013 when I saw but didn't get on video a Yellow Crowned Night Heron catching a mud snake. What then happened I tried hard to document.. and got most of it. The heron took the snake from the water edge to the gravel trail and whipped it around (I assume to make sure it was dead before eating it) for probably 20-30 minutes. Some cyclists came along and the heron re-located with his catch out of range.

[@hucks1000]

Great footage! Love the background audio of all the wildlife activity ...birds, frogs, etc.

[@lauracooks4926]

I have a nesting pair that come back every year. Very cool until they start vomiting up food for the chicks onto my driveway

[@pujik3829]

Making sure it's really dead before eating.

[@happywinnings537]

Hahaha yeah darn those silly humans, can't enjoy my dinner with them showing up eerrywerreee 🙄🙄🙄 ohmyygoodnesss 👀 Thanks for sharing this video, I kept watching 👀 watching 👀 thinking 🤔 it's gonna eat it finally...anyways, loved it and the anticipation was hilariously ridiculous 😀 😄

[@Hallands.]

Seems fish make for a faster meal... Maybe the heron is ridding himself of some competition?

[@tommykib]

Some snakes eat their eggs

[@Hallands.]

@@tommykib Right!

[@lordsirnoelmanchester3592]

That Heron has a unique eating rituals he wanted thoroughly TENDERISE before swallowing whole without rushing. Heron remained calm even doing it through the entire day.

[@devendersinghattri4654]

Superb!

[@demus8757]

You did not catch the capture? Then what is the purpose of this video? Just to launch another video to boost your income?

[@tommykib]

My channel isn’t monetized. I only kept filming hoping it would eat the snake but some hikers scared it off and the whole thing took 5 x as much time as I thought. I originally just posted the video to show some friends, if you must know and it’s now got so many views, I won’t likely ever take it down.

[@mandiconroy966]

Bird flies away at the end..Never see him eat the snake.

[@hearingeyes9129]

How long in its entirety???

[@jeffjensen8]

He'll tell you 10 inches, but maybe more like 6.

[@onetrickpony8618]

the size of the meal is definitely not worth the effort 🙃🙃

[@philtymcnasty9994]

How to eat snake: break its neck, test for pulse, and swallow whole, head first, if no pulse is detected.

[@gemonieva9604]

So,Did she ate it?

[@tommykib]

Gemo Nieva I gave up and left but I amd certain she ate it

[@darellpiper7227]

NO

[@russellevans2446]

Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?

[@jumsaesiaw6890]

Truly enjoy watching this video 😅

[@edmiy8395]

A garça tem receio de engolir a cobra viva e ser picado, daí a preparação até atingir presa ficar inconsciente

[@mcchurchmouse]

I hate snakes but boy is this a crappy way to die. Nice video!

[@xyz2121]

Humans disturb bird's dinner. Typical.

[@alijaanali9242]

Brilliant

[@3amnatural]

Nice

[@alijaanali9242]

Big bash

[@hearingeyes9129]

I think I'd order pizza! To keep from starving.

[@潘阿松]

Nn

[@ПавелС-у1ф]

змея не укусит цаплю? Переживаю за птицу..

[@DarkVoidIII]

All that and for nothing. Could've cut two thirds of the video out completely since swallowing the snake wasn't caught on camera. Disliked!

[@tommykib]

I’m sorry, I like the audio.. You do realize you are free to just fast forward to the end at your leisure... don’t you...?

[@edgarhelbling6525]

Wow, jus what I need to see. Lol.

[@danvanhoose6783]

That was a snooze fest.seen herons eat live gophers faster than that.

[@tommykib]

That's nature

[@jeffjensen8]

@@tommykib The generation of instant gratification expects to see a heron gobble down everything in sight, immediately! Don't you know that we deserve only the best videos?! But, seriously.. where can I see herons eat live gophers? I'm uh.. asking for a friend!

[@darellpiper7227]

He never ate the snake, just played with it till some humans scared it away. After 16 minutes 39 sec then flew away.

[@Paiadakine]

Darell Piper thanks for the warning. Saved me 13 mins

[@jeffjensen8]

Do like I do - slurp it down like a big spaghetti noodle!