# Nightmare news: some snakes hunt cooperatively **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 26, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503 "2017-05-26T18:53:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/1 "2017-05-26T18:53:09Z")
A Cuban researcher has published an [article](http://www.popsci.com/snakes-hunt-packs) on how some snakes hunt cooperatively. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/2 "2017-05-26T19:06:15Z")
I was watching a show on PBS (probably in the Nature series) that showed hundreds of snakes hunting on a beach for (I think) lizards that just hatched and had to get to the safety of the rocks. Absolutely horrific! :eek: It was worse than the CGI on _Snakes On A Plane._ How they get some of that footage is beyond imagination. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/3 "2017-05-26T23:18:05Z")
Are you maybe thinking of the racer snakes hunting the baby iguanas on Planet Earth II? Some of her best TV I’ve ever seen and great use of music too… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Rv9hn4IGofM/maxresdefault.jpg "Iguana vs Snakes | Planet Earth II") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv9hn4IGofM) ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/4 "2017-05-26T23:50:59Z")
That one had me yelling “ruuuuuunnnnnn!!” to the baby iguana! That has to be one of the most amazing wildlife videos I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/5 "2017-05-27T04:26:44Z")
> [@Encinitas](#): > > A Cuban researcher has published an [article](http://www.popsci.com/snakes-hunt-packs) on how some snakes hunt cooperatively. Don’t miss the part where these boas hang from the ceiling, in order to catch bats. Close your eyes and envision that one. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/6 "2017-05-27T04:50:44Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Are you maybe thinking of the racer snakes hunting the baby iguanas on Planet Earth II? Some of her best TV I’ve ever seen and great use of music too… > > [https://youtu.be/Rv9hn4IGofM](https://youtu.be/Rv9hn4IGofM) In this case, I wonder how much it is “cooperation” and how much just opportunism. After all, it’s not like those snakes on the beach can share their prey, a single iguana that happened to get unlucky. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/7 "2017-05-27T05:01:43Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > That one had me yelling “ruuuuuunnnnnn!!” to the baby iguana! [You and LaTonka](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZgVaIvwpqk). ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/8 "2017-05-27T07:16:11Z")
> [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](#): > > Don’t miss the part where these boas hang from the ceiling, in order to catch bats. Close your eyes and envision that one. Yeah, that’s the part that made me run screaming from the room!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/9 "2017-05-27T07:46:20Z")
The original Planet Earth series featured [sea snakes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1h_0FZ-Qec) hunting apparently cooperatively. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/10 "2017-05-27T15:23:37Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > [You and LaTonka](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZgVaIvwpqk). Ain’t nobody got time fo dat! ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/11 "2017-05-28T03:07:42Z")
Cool! signed, the resident crazy snake lady ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/12 "2017-05-28T03:34:38Z")
I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure. (Also, what’s up with [horrible things hunting bats in caves?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UROVfmY3NTA)) ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/13 "2017-05-28T05:01:01Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Are you maybe thinking of the racer snakes hunting the baby iguanas on Planet Earth II? Some of her best TV I’ve ever seen and great use of music too… > > [https://youtu.be/Rv9hn4IGofM](https://youtu.be/Rv9hn4IGofM) That’s one bad-ass iguana. I thought for sure he was a goner. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nightmare-news-some-snakes-hunt-cooperatively/787503/14 "2017-05-28T05:25:31Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > In this case, I wonder how much it is “cooperation” and how much just opportunism. After all, it’s not like those snakes on the beach can share their prey, a single iguana that happened to get unlucky. The article on the bat hunting snakes mentions that. Snakes who were hunting in proximity to each other were more likely to make kills, and to do it more quickly. Not just because they had a better location, but because they were hunting near each other