The researchers watched as the snake gently swooshed its tail along the ground, the swollen bulb and frilly scales perfectly recreating the skittering motions of a tasty spider.
Furthermore, it typically possesses a comparatively short, rounded snout.
That is the spider-shaped growth on the end of its tail, used to attract its prey.
To protect their chicks on the ground, the owls divebomb the badgers, making the owls and gophers unlikely but effective allies.
So, over the past 200 years, wild animals that were once relatively abundant on every continent except Antarctica have been decimated and now survive in dangerously small numbers.
That holds true because, while waiting for its prey, the snake blends extremely well into the surrounding terrain.