I wouldn't dare go near any snake but apparently someone from 450 CE not only went near a rattlesnake, out of all the snakes, and ate it whole. How were archaeologists able to say that? Well, they have poo to prove it.
The desiccated coprolite—archaeologists’ term for ancient poop—contained the scales and bones of the snake along with remnants of a small rodent and an assortment of edible desert plants. It’s a great example of how coprolites can give archaeologist a direct (sometimes unnervingly direct) look at what ancient people ate.
The remains were found in the Chihuahuan Desert and scientists are trying to figure out how this came about. Was it a normal part of those ancient peoples' diet? Or perhaps it might have had some cultural or religious significance, as in a ritual of some sort?
For now, there is no way of knowing why, until they can excavate further artifacts that may serve as a clue to figure out why somebody had eaten a rattlesnake whole. Nonetheless, it must have been a very difficult feat to do. Even though there are people who eat snakes, eating one whole is unheard of. So we will have to wait and see what comes up in the research.
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)