Snakes are able to swallow and digest what to humans seem like an impossible meal. I get snakes eating fish but haven't seen them try large ones. But I've got photos of them successfully eating large frogs and toads. Takes a quite but they eventually get them in. Depending on the type of snake they can envenomate the prey to immobilise it. So even if you 'rescue' it the animal often dies later anyway.

Well, as of this morning the fish is still alive! I thought he had died over night when I didn't see him but there was no body in the skimmer. Then I thought that maybe a raccoon had made off with him. But then I saw a little bit of orange under some leaves. I touched it and his tail moved back and forth! It looks like his survival instinct is intact enough to hide (and he can move well enough to do it) so I'm holding out hope. If he makes it, he will be named "Mayweather"!

I've seen snakes eat some pretty big things too but this snake couldn't even get part of the fish's head in his mouth. He could only drag it and bite between it's eyes. I know the snake likes to hang out in the very shallow corner of the pond (about an inch deep). I can only imagine that the fish was rooting around for food and "goosed" the snake. I just can't imagine how the snake managed to drag the fish out of the water and six feet away into the garden! I just wish the snake was that aggressive to the mice and moles!

The mammals will usually bite back so it becomes a bit intimidating for a small or young (inexperienced) snake.

Where there's a will there's a way.

Sounds like your fish might be having some issues with it's swim bladder after being out of water for quite some time. I would just leave him/her alone for awhile and more then likely it will resolve this issue on it's own. Fingers crossed for your little one.

Mayweather is hanging in there! After being on side for two days he righted himself yesterday (3 days after the attack). He was on his side again this morning but is now hiding, upright, behind some plants. His face looks awful but he's a real fighter.

But now I have another problem because I seem to have a snake with a taste for fish (or, at least fishing!). I just came in from the pond and there was another, smaller fish, on the rocks. It was alive and not badly injured but there was some blood coming from its jaw. The snake was no where to be seen though I did hear him in the garden a few minutes later.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to deter snakes from going in the pond? In 7 years of having the pond, I've never had this problem before. He's just a little garter snake. I've always had them in the garden. I worried about the frogs getting eaten but never the fish.

Get your new snake friend some minnows from the bait shop, they love them, and it will keep him away from your fish. Plus they are a size that's edible.