Do any snakes hunt in packs?

Do any snakes hunt in packs?

Science writer Stuart Blackman analyses hunting strategies of the slithery kind. 

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Published: January 27, 2018 at 8:40 am

Snakes aren’t the most sociable of animals, and when it comes to finding prey they are more lone wolves than pack hunters.

But there could be one exception. Cuban boas hunt bats as they fly through the narrow entrances of their roosting caves. The snakes seek out positions where other serpents are already stationed, creating a ‘fence’ of predators that more effectively blocks the flightpaths of their quarry.

It’s a pretty rudimentary form of group hunting, and there is no evidence of communication between individuals, but research has found that snakes that team up enjoy triple the hunting success of those working alone.

© Nature Picture Library/Getty

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