Snake Mistakes Its Tail For Food

A snake had to be rushed to the vet after it choked on its own tail.

The Telegraph reports that Reggie, a 3-foot kingsnake, lunged at its own tail after mistaking it for another snake. It began choking and tried to regurgitate the tail, but couldn't because of its backward-facing teeth.

Exotic reptiles expert Bob Reynolds at the Seers Croft Veterinary Centre in West Sussex, UK, had to pry open and dislocate Reggie's jaw to get the tail out of its mouth.

"Its teeth were acting like a ratchet," Reynolds said "If a snake like this one is kept in a space that is too small, then there is always a temptation for it to lunge at its own tail. They can't spread themselves out and they think their tails are another snake."

The kingsnake's diet includes other snakes, including venomous snakes, lizards, rodents, birds and eggs. The "king" in its name refers to their taste for other snakes.