I took these photos 3 years ago and posted them on flickr where they received zero attention and I wasn’t surprised as most of my pics get zero attention
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127669355@N03/28956084845/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127669355@N03/28338175493
But out of the blue 3 years later I get this reminder message:
Just stumbled across this fascinating shot again, oh interesting! It looked like a large fighting eel, but the cormorant must have been hungry!
Still, it seems difficult to me that the bird can deal with this thing! So the bird was actually able to fit (swallowed alive?!) that entirely down it's long/skinny throat completely somehow?? I have never witnessed an event like this before.
I feel somewhat perplexed over how it actually happens, wouldn't the eel stand a chance of escaping (it's bendy/slimy body to even turn around?) or damaging (wriggling, biting, etc.) the bird's stomach/throat if eaten in that condition?! It’s hard for me to imagine that the formidable-looking eel (wouldn't the prey also go into a desperate "survival mode" once it realized that it hit the stomach?) Doesn't stand a chance of turning around in the elastic gullet and how the bird can keep down/digest such an object with no issues? I have recently heard eel’s produce a lot of slime that acts as a protective coating and makes them quite slippery!
I don't have much knowledge about these events and am mostly curious, I appreciate any feedback/explanation. Sorry for all of the questions, have a good week
There is one minute and 5 seconds between both photos and my recollection is that the cormorant spent most of the intervening time underwater and emerged a long way away from its initial capture
There is no doubt that he somehow overcame and swallowed the large eel
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127669355@N03/28956084845/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127669355@N03/28338175493
But out of the blue 3 years later I get this reminder message:
Just stumbled across this fascinating shot again, oh interesting! It looked like a large fighting eel, but the cormorant must have been hungry!
Still, it seems difficult to me that the bird can deal with this thing! So the bird was actually able to fit (swallowed alive?!) that entirely down it's long/skinny throat completely somehow?? I have never witnessed an event like this before.
I feel somewhat perplexed over how it actually happens, wouldn't the eel stand a chance of escaping (it's bendy/slimy body to even turn around?) or damaging (wriggling, biting, etc.) the bird's stomach/throat if eaten in that condition?! It’s hard for me to imagine that the formidable-looking eel (wouldn't the prey also go into a desperate "survival mode" once it realized that it hit the stomach?) Doesn't stand a chance of turning around in the elastic gullet and how the bird can keep down/digest such an object with no issues? I have recently heard eel’s produce a lot of slime that acts as a protective coating and makes them quite slippery!
I don't have much knowledge about these events and am mostly curious, I appreciate any feedback/explanation. Sorry for all of the questions, have a good week
There is one minute and 5 seconds between both photos and my recollection is that the cormorant spent most of the intervening time underwater and emerged a long way away from its initial capture
There is no doubt that he somehow overcame and swallowed the large eel
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