I came upon this juvenile Black Rat Snake eating an American Toad  in Valley Forge National Park along the west bank of the Schuylkill River.   My first thought was that the snake had a deformed mouth.  Then quickly I realized that its mouth was stretched to the limit with half of the toad already ingested.    The toad was still struggling to free itself.  I feel fortunate to have witnessed this regular event in the continuing cycle of life where one creature is food for another, enabling an ever evolving community of life on Earth.

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