I'm not saying anybody was right or wrong with your answers. But I'm going to tell you what I saw with my own two eyes last Sunday. I still don't believe it, but I saw it, I swear I did.
This is how it went down. I left my house at 5:30 am to be at my favorite prarie dog pasture at 6:30 am. About 300 yards from the pasture gate I see the formentioned rabbit laying in the road. Didn't give it a second thought. I see road killed rabbits all the time on these back roads. Now it's about 10:30 am, it's getting hot and I've slayed my share of prarie dogs (and missed way to many, lol). I head back outta the pasture and go by the rabbit. As I drive by I see a snake right next to the rabbit. I'm thinking rattlesnake and another set of rattles for my collection. I hit the brakes and back up beside the rabbit. Now I can see it's a bullsnake, a BIG bullsnake. I just sit in the jeep and watch. The old bullsnake is sizing this oversized meal up from every direction you can imagine. He crawls under it, over it, nudges it, latches on and lets go, he seems confused as to how he's going to handle the situation. He gets all of one front leg in his mouth and lets go. He gets all of one rear leg in his mouth and lets go. He gets one ear in his mouth and lets go. He acts like he's getting frustrated. WHERE'S MY CAMERA!! I make it sound like this all happens fast, but all this is like in slow motion, probably about 10 minutes worth of watching now. I'm thinking no way in he!! is this snake ever going to get a meal this big down the hatch. Well he finally finds where he wants to start this major undertaking. Head first of course. Slowly but surely he gets the head entirely in his mouth. WHAT A BULGE THAT MADE. He keeps working, stretching out, coiling, stretching and the frigging rabbit is slowly dissapearing. I'm amazed, shocked, in disbelief. Then I pulled out the rifle and killed the snake! That's a joke guys. I did NOT kill the snake. Long story shortened up, he did eat that BIG cottontail. I still can't believe it. And I did let him crawl off into the weeds off the road when he was done.
I would of never dreamed a bullsnake would eat road kill. I knew they were capable of swallowing some pretty big prey, but I would of never dreamed they could eat something as big as a FULL grown cottontail rabbit.
This must be my year for snakes. I had a strange run in with a rattlesnake about a month ago. That's a story in itself. ewwww I really don't care much for snakes. lol.
dc