'Stout' Snake Gets Collected for Nature Survey. Then It Vomits Up Two More Snakes — One Living!

The nonvenomous eastern indigo snake has a diet that includes rattlesnakes and other reptiles

A plump snake recovered during a nature survey in Georgia had a surprising secret to share.

The Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GNR) detailed how the "stout" eastern indigo snake shocked researchers in an Aug. 29 Facebook post.

"During a survey for federally protected eastern indigo snakes last November, wildlife technician Matt Moore came across an astonishing find," the agency teased in the post.

"After catching and tagging a stout 4-foot-long indigo in southeast Georgia, Moore discovered that the snake had regurgitated two others: a young rat snake and a juvenile eastern diamond-backed rattlesnake," the social media post continued.

Related: Family Finds 'Quite Defensive' Python Lurking in Their Living Room and Calls an Expert for Help

But that's not all! After the indigo snake vomited up its supersized reptile meal, the technician surveying the snakes realized the coughed-up rattlesnake was still alive.

"While the rat snake was dead, the rattlesnake, initially thought to be lifeless, showed surprising signs of life an hour later. It was later seen basking in the sun instead of taking shelter in a burrow," GNR's Wildlife Resources Division shared on Facebook.

According to the agency, the indigo snake and the "revived rattlesnake" slithered off into the wild after the survey was complete.

Related: Colorado Rattlesnake 'Mega Den' Bursting with Even More Snakes Following Weeks of Births

"To top off this remarkable event, the revived rattlesnake had a noticeable bulge, indicating it had recently eaten a large mouse. This unusual episode not only reveals the indigo's impressive hunting abilities but also the rattlesnake's unexpected resilience," GNR's Wildlife Resources Division closed its post.

The University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory notes that eastern indigo snakes eat "other snakes, including rattlesnakes and cottonmouths," small mammals, birds, and frogs. The snake species is nonvenomous but does make a rattling sound when threatened.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

It is unclear what caused the indigo snake to regurgitate its two snake meal, but GNR's Wildlife Resources Division joked that the feast "must have been a little too 'undercooked.'"

According to GNR, the eastern indigo snake is federally protected. If you encounter one of these shiny bluish-black snakes in the wild, the agency recommends enjoying the reptile from afar and never handling any snake found in the wild.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.