BBC Wildlife Magazine

Do any snakes hunt in packs?

- Stuart Blackman

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.

 ??  ?? Cuban boas are found on the island of the same name, in woodland and rocky habitats.
Cuban boas are found on the island of the same name, in woodland and rocky habitats.

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