Cannibalism in Snakes: Evolutionary Trick Repeats Across 11 Lineages

A review of 503 cannibalism reports across 207 snake species finds that cannibalistic behavior has evolved independently at least 11 times. The behavior appears across continents and contexts, often linked to environmental stress or scarce food, with many captivity cases; jaw flexibility and dietary generalism help some snakes consume conspecifics. Researchers say cannibalism can provide ecological fitness as an opportunistic feeding strategy, though much of the data are anecdotal and more study is needed.