Catfish vs Snake: What’s the Difference?

Catfish vs Snake: What's the Difference?
Catfish vs Snake: What’s the Difference?

Catfish vs. Snake

The internet is plush with videos of animals going at it, and some of the most popular ones remain the snake vs. catfish videos. Water snakes or catfish run into each other regularly, but it isn’t always a peaceful passing. Sometimes, these river monsters go at it until death. It depends on the tactics used as to which one will survive the fight.

Snakes Bite the Dorsal Fin

When a snake bites the dorsal fin of a catfish, they are instantly exposed to the sharp spine that is hidden underneath. In the rare species of venomous catfish, they are also exposed to toxins. This sharp dorsal fin can puncture through the snake’s head, resulting in an instant loss. The toxins alone are also enough to stun some snakes long enough for the catfish to gain an ultimate advantage.

Depends on Size

Size is one of the major factors in who is going to win this fight to the death. Smaller snakes often don’t stand a chance against larger catfish. Likewise, smaller catfish will easily get swallowed whole by a massive water snake. Sometimes, when they are evenly matched in size, no one knows who is going to survive.

Sometimes, Things Are Found in a Catfish Belly

Here you can see what one person found when they were in the middle of cleaning a catfish. As they opened it up, the contents of the stomach revealed a nice sized water snake as well as the babies. The editors of the magazine were speculating as to whether the babies were eaten separately, or if they were born in the stomach of the catfish. The fact is, no one has been able to answer that question yet.

Catfish Are Dinner for Some Snakes

For some snakes, like the brown water snake, catfish are consumed on a regular basis. They enjoy a tasty dinner of catfish, can heal remarkably well from the dorsal fins puncturing their sidewalls, and they will always be back for more. This awesome video is described by news outlets as not something that you see every day. It shows a brown snake attempting to consume a massive catfish. Whether it succeeded or not is not shown, but people that have seen things like this before are confident that the snake won in this snake vs. catfish battle.

Catfish and snakes seem to be natural rivals. They are both predators, they can both grow to an enormous size and they are both often found in the same habitats. When it comes to snake vs. catfish battles though, it depends on the size and strength of the fish and the snake. Often, snakes will not try to eat something that is far too large for them. They will only attack it if they feel threatened. Catfish, on the other hand, are often larger than the snakes in the water, and their stomachs are definitely capable of handling more than a snake’s can. There are plenty of times that catfish will come across a snake and try to eat them whole. The snake is left with no choice but to fight back.

 

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