Rattlesnake vs. bobcat. Video shows surprising victor in unevenly matched brawl 

A hungry bobcat in search of a quick meal ended up on the run this week, after a very large and venomous rattlesnake went on the offensive.

A video tweeted by the Arizona Game & Fish Department says the encounter took place Tuesday between desert shrubs in the Oro Valley, about six miles north of Tucson.

The bobcat is seen “thinking twice about attacking a western diamondback rattlesnake,” the post notes. “The rattlesnake drew the attention of the curious bobcat because of its movement and sound.”

Their fight -- which lasted only 25 seconds -- was recorded by Rolf Averill, the department said.

It starts with the bobcat stalking the snake from behind, getting within a foot, then taking a swat with one paw.

Almost instantly, the angry snake swivels and aggressively heads straight for the bobcat, which literally turns tail and runs.

“Bobcats have no immunity to snake venom,” the tweet explains.

In the end, the rattlesnake is seen slithering into the bushes as the bobcat crouches out of bite range.

The video posted Wednesday has been watched more than 6,000 times as of Friday, and has prompted more than one “nine lives” comment from viewers.

Bobcats are among the animals that prey successfully on the western diamondback rattlesnake, which can grow up to 7 feet long, according to Desertmusem.org.

Western diamondback rattlesnakes are known to spend hot days “coiled in the shade of low-growing shrubs” like those seen in the video, the museum says.

This story was originally published July 26, 2019 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Rattlesnake vs. bobcat. Video shows surprising victor in unevenly matched brawl ."