Snake slowly regurgitates a LIVE toad

Story and video from SWNS

This is the gory moment a snake regurgitated its latest meal - a toad that is still alive!.

Richard Hancock and his family, from Bideford, North Devon, spotted their dog Jiggy playing with something in their garden and went out to investigate.

To their dismay, the Jack Russell terrier had been batting a grass snake around the garden, throwing it into the air before the family pulled him away.

Richard's partner Sarah Leather, used to work as a veterinary nurse and after checking the snake was not injured, they left the reptile in the garden.

Richard returned to take photographs ten minutes later only to find the snake thrashing and curling up on the grass before regurgitating it's last meal - a live toad.

Filming the shocking scene on his phone, Richard captured the moment the toad emerged from the snake's mouth and incredibly lived to tell the tale.

After a little bath from Sarah, the toad was back to croaking and hopping in the grass just an hour after his very close brush with death.

Richard said: "It was an incredible sight - I always have my phone on me to capture rare moments like this."

"A while after the snake had regurgitated the toad and slithered off, my father-in-law went to pick up the toad and bury it but instead found it sat upright covered in the snake's digestive juices."

"We poured some water over it and then my other half gave the toad a proper wash in an old tub from inside the house."

"After Sarah washed the toad off, it looked absolutely fine, we were all absolutely stunned that it seemed to show no ill effects at all."

"We considered keeping him contained in a suitable enclosure and keeping an eye on him but decided it wasn't necessary as he was croaking and jumping around like nothing had happened."

"Needless to say, it was a pretty extraordinary experience!"

"I don't know how long a toad can last after being swallowed by a snake, but it must have been in there a little while which makes his escape a rather miraculous one!"

See what happens in the video above.