Hard To Swallow

A python in Australia has been filmed trying and failing to swallow whole what looks like a wallaby — a small or medium-sized kangaroo.

The snake seems to realize it is biting off more than it can chew and is forced to back away and regurgitate the upper half of the animal's body.

The camera operator then jolts and swears as the python pulls away briefly from the animal to inspect the crowd that has gathered.

Andrew Krockenberger, associate professor at James Cook University, said he ran out to watch the attack with some students after being alerted by a co-worker.

Prof Krockenberger said the python made several attempts to consume the wallaby before the incident was caught on camera. "It was a very small python and it gave up after a while. It had a good try but it was a little over ambitious," he said.