Birds that eat snakes!

All known snakes are carnivorous and few animals dare to feed on them. But there is always an exception and the animals that feed on snakes that stand out the most are birds and one of these birds that feed on snakes is the secretary. The secretary is a large African bird, which is surprising because it is the only bird of prey that is mainly terrestrial. Like the vast majority of birds of prey, the secretary is a great hunter, although he hunts on the ground. Its prey ranges from insects to hares, although it can consume turtles, rats, small birds, eggs, crabs and poisonous snakes. The hunting strategy consists of stepping on it with its powerful and long paws, which can stun and even kill the animal without needing to dig in its claws. Even so, its powerful beak also comes into play, especially with more dangerous animals like snakes. A venomous snake may try to bite the secretary bird's legs, but they serve as distractions since biting a hollow leg would not hurt the bird. Another bird that feeds on snakes is the Brazilian bird, seriema. Seriemas have red beaks and legs while their feathers take on gray colors. These birds can reach 90 cm in length and 70 cm in height, weighing up to more than 1.5 kg. The bird feeds on rats, rodents, and all small reptiles, however, they are hunters who require venomous snakes. Its beak is very sharp and its size allows it to reach speeds greater than its prey and its claws capture the target with precision. When the Seriema captures a venomous snake, it is common to grab them with its beak and strike them against the ground before dismembering them using its claws. Now it is the bird that became famous because of cartoons. The roadrunners. Roadrunners are a long-legged bird from the cuckoo family, they inhabit the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The roadrunner measures around 56 cm in length, with a wingspan of 49 cm. Despite being a bird, it flies little. It has a white stripe in the post-ocular region, a small crest on the top of the head and a long tail. Both sexes are similar, with the male being slightly larger. This bird is very fast, reaching speeds of up to 30 km/h on land. It feeds mainly on small animals, such as insects, spiders, centipedes, scorpions, rats, small birds, such as hummingbirds, lizards and snakes. Poisonous snakes, such as rattlesnakes, are easily consumed. Although rattlesnakes are highly venomous snakes, this does not scare the birds, the bird hits the rattlesnake's head with all its force on the ground. That is, if the roadrunner doesn't kill the snake by tirelessly pecking the rattlesnake's head. These aren't the only birds that eat snakes. Snakes, especially small ones, are part of the diets of various birds such as the Kookaburra, the Peacock, the Harpy, the Hornbill, the Cassowary, among others.

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