Why snakes eat their own kind
Indian Express·2h ago·Neutral
What Happened
A study published November 2, 2025, in Biological Reviews analyzed 500 documented cases across 200 snake species. Researchers found snake cannibalism evolved independently at least 11 times. Snakes eat their own kind when food is scarce, environmental stress increases, or competition for resources intensifies. This behavior occurs across multiple snake families including Colubridae, Viperidae, and Elapidae. Scientists describe it as strategic survival behavior improving ecological fitness rather than aberrant conduct.
Key Entities
Biological ReviewsBruna FalcãoUniversity of São PauloColubridaeViperidaeElapidaeNovember 2, 2025