This observation is of the Fish, rather than the Snake that ingested it (listed separately).
My colleagues and I took this photograph of an actual original and unique X-Ray (physical "hard copy") film made in the Emergency Room of the University hospital in which I worked night shifts back in 2002. It was the regional center for medical treatment of snake bites in north central Florida. This Florida Cottonmouth's (Agkistrodon conanti) coiled body, head to tail, can be measured on the original film by laying a piece of string on the image, tracing the course of the backbone. At 58 inches, or 4 feet 10 inches (147 centimeters) then, this a pretty large snake as Water Moccasins go.
What's more, one of the main reasons we X-rayed it at all was that it had clearly recently eaten something. It had a large bulge in it's stomach, down about a third of it's body length, just past its air-filled lungs that are visible on the film as well defined darker shapes. We found the bulge was a big fish with a large blunt bony skull and easily discernable swim bladder, which we thought to be a catfish (though we lacked an Ichthyologist amongst the E.R. staff of course).
I can follow the fish's spine for much of its length in the image, but lose it somewhere along the snake's lung in the extreme right of the picture. There is an interesting and distinct structure visible at the top that looks to me like a bony spine at the front of the dorsal fin. The skull is about 7 centimeters long, and the fin spine about 3 centimeters long, measured directly from the actual film. I don't know whether the loose dense material below the swim bladder represents the fish's stomach contents, or something else in the snake's stomach. The X-Ray film was 11 by 14 inches in size, so the fish must have been roughly around a foot (30 centimeters) long in total. We did not, in any case dissect the snake in the E.R.
My impression at the time was that this was most likely something like a Brown Bullhead, just judging from what I could make out of its size and shape. It would be fascinating to hear from someone more familiar with fish skeletons and anatomy. I am sure identification from an X-Ray is possible, considering what can be done with even fossil remains among experts. I will defer to anyone with more experience reading fish X-rays.
The Radiological Technician that made the actual exposure for us on film, at my request, wrote the details of the exposure for future reference on the film itself, which, though the film suffered damage when it was later stolen from my vehicle inside a locked briefcase and dumped out in a back alley and further mistreated both by the thieves and the weather, I can still read most of what he wrote with a "magic marker":
"40(or 46) MA
1 MAS
56 KV"
Are there any X-Ray Tech's out there who can confirm that that is in fact a good exposure for a big dead snake with enclosed fish?
Photos of multiple trilliums from the same patch.
Endemic species to Bermuda.
28 Jun 2019.
Buckingham Springs, Bucks Co, PA.
Found in a woods.
Falcon by Thomas Circle eating a dove
Here’s the whole sequence, with the mail going from their nest to the female at the other building to mate. And male returned to nest.
This sidewalk square was replaced after a recent gas leak (yikes) was repaired. About a half hour after it was poured, I guess a pigeon walked across it 😂
The only birds I’ve ever seen here are European starlings, house sparrows, and pigeons.
Spent a couple of hours digging and pulling it up
Extensive colonization of lawn, but seen better here in crack at edge of garage. First thing blooming in the lawn each year.
This species is so beautiful, I love the soft texture paired with the vibrant colors.
This huge colony of Robin’s Plantain grows at the west end of Magelssen Bluff Park, along with pussytoes and turf grass, on the east side of the path that leads to the overlook.
Ox Eye Sunflower (Helianthus helianthoides)
extensive native stand on the wooded slopes
Line up, wait your turn
Night tidepooling.
Self seeded from last year's cultivated Viola on the porch above.
• Opposite, entire leaves
• Stems glabrous
• Leaves sessile/small petiole, but not clasping
• Petals not notched at tip
• Calyx lobes shorter than tube
• Leaves without conspicuous lateral veins
• Stems not spotted
• Calyx ~7.5mm long
28 Aug 2020.
Buckingham Springs, Bucks Co, PA.
Found next to a stream.
Ranunculus micranthus (small-flowered crowfoot), Bland Preserve, Pound Road site, Cumberland, RI. State Endangered. (overrated) A new EO.
A Ranunculus with tiny flowers, a hairy stem, and glabrous sepals. Usually grows on rocks.
Love how water beads up and glitters along leaf edges
Marine Park, Brooklyn. Salt Marsh Nature Center trail. Perhaps assumption that all Artemisia is A. vulgaris is wrong? Haven’t really verified species level identifications.