This rare snake is better than giant centipedes (Credit: Drew Smith)

Scientists have learned a cruel but important lesson from a rare snake discovered in Florida.

Tantilla oolitica (Round Rock Crowned Snake) was recently discovered in the archipelago for the first time in four years. Unfortunately for the animal, it was found dead with a half-swallowed giant centipede in its mouth.

According to the researchers, this remains a useful finding.

Until now, these species were found so rarely that scientists didn’t know exactly what they ate. In fact, T.oolitica is the rarest snake in North America.

However, other related snakes are known to happily eat worms, so the preference for this species over giant centipedes is not entirely surprising.

The feisty creature was first spotted by soldiers at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo. They were then taken to the Florida Museum of Natural History, where experts were able to make their discoveries.

“I was in awe when I first saw the image,” said Coleman Sheehy, manager of the Florida Museum’s herpetological collection. “It is extremely rare to find dead specimens that have eaten their prey, and given how rare this species is, we never expected to find something like this. I was completely taken aback.

Sheehy and his team used a CT scanner to create a 3D model of the grieving creature to see exactly how the snake died.

Jamie Gray, postdoctoral researcher at the museum, said: “We were able to perform a digital autopsy that allowed us to examine centipedes and snakes, including damage and intestinal contents, without having to pick up a scalpel.

Some snakes are known to eat animals much larger than themselves, with the help of their incredibly wide jaws, so it’s unclear if T.oolitica simply strangled the giant centipede.

Wounds on the sides of the snake suggest that the victim may have impaled the snake during combat, injecting some sort of venom into its intended prey.

It is believed that some snakes can resist centipede venom, but this has not yet been proven.

Either way, the wound only caused a small amount of internal bleeding, and certainly didn’t stop the snake from eating half of it, leading the researchers to consider other explanations.

Instead, we think snake eyes are too big for their stomachs. A CT scan showed compression of the trachea at the widest part of the centipede’s body. This can block the snake’s airway and cause suffocation.

On a more positive note, the researchers hope the finding means there is a stable population of T. oolitica in Florida.

A once-thriving species, this rarely seen snake has been listed as “endangered” in Florida since 1975 and is believed by some to be in danger of extinction.

Human development throughout the state has drastically reduced native pine rock habitat.

Sheehy said: The lack of evidence is not proof of non-existence, but their habitats have been largely destroyed.

He also hopes the team’s CT models will help other researchers learn more about the animals. They were published online alongside research papers detailing ecological investigations.

“This study is just the beginning of our investigation with CT data on this enigmatic species,” Sheehy added.