Snakes almost swallow each other in fight over rat

When it comes to hungry snakes, you gotta keep 'em separated.

A handler in Adelaide has shown owners how not to feed their pets after being forced to tear apart two snakes who became entangled in a fight over a dead rat.

The two ravenous reptiles, a Murray Darling carpet python and Queensland carpet python, were in danger of swallowing each other when the feeding went awry last week.

"The Murray Darling has taken a leg and the other has taken another part of the rat, they'll just keep on going and eventually the Murray Darling will be inside the Queensland Carpet and it'll be smothered and die, " the handler, Rolly Burrell, says.

Like two slithery entwined ropes, Mr Burrell then battles to bring the snakes to heel, drawing upon his experience to avoid being bitten in the process.

They are eventually prised apart, with the help of another handler.

Allowing the reptiles to run amok at feeding time is asking for trouble, Mr Burrell said.

"I have seen this happen before but too much greater depth, where one water python had swallowed it's mate water python down to almost a metre," he said.

"Luckily they were found in time and both snakes survived!"