There are two formidable predators that live in the Namib!  They aren’t “big and impressive” in the conventional sense, but both are never the less highly efficient!  One is the sidewinder and the other the scorpion.  Oh and given the chance they do like to snack on one another!

It was early one morning when I happened upon this grisly (given my fondness of the sidewinder) scene!  I had found a strange track that resembled a stick being dragged across the ground, and followed this over a small dune for about 50 meters.  The track suddenly vanished at the base of an ink bush.  Puzzled, I lend in closer and found the tip of a sidewinders tail (a big one) protruding from beneath the bush.  I got down low to get a better look and froze.  There attached to where the head of the snake should have been was the biggest scorpion I have ever seen.  Then it dawned on me.  The scorpion had killed and dragged the snake from within the low dunes to this bush to consume it.  Amazing!

At least this snakes death was a natural one, and not at the hands of man as is too often the case.