Viral video of deer eating snake puzzles internet users. Watch

Screengrab from the viral video which has received about 18 million views.

A video of a deer chomping down a snake has left social media users puzzled with most questioning "aren't deer herbivorous?"

The now-viral clip was shared by Twitter user Figen (@TheFigen_). "I saw a deer eating a snake for the first time. Don't deer feed on grass?" he wrote.

I saw a deer eating a snake for the first time. Don't deer feed on grass?pic.twitter.com/DsyYjMbdIk

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— Figen (@TheFigen_) June 11, 2023

The video has been viewed about 18 million times.

Other Twitter users soon added context and shared an explainer. It turns out that although their diet mainly consists of plant-based food that doesn’t require killing or hunting, that’s not all they eat.

"While deer are generally considered herbivores, they are known to eat meat if given the opportunity. Field cameras from scientific research have confirmed that deer will sometimes eat small birds and also consume the eggs from bird nests," a report in Wildstart stated. "Deer are also known to eat the carcasses of dead animals, most commonly dead fish that drifted to shore. Other animals deer might eat include rabbits, squirrels, or frogs."

The report added that such behavior is remarkable especially because the digestive system of deer has not fully adapted to processing meat-based protein. Deer will normally exclusively eat plant-based material and fungi.

Reacting to the video, a Twitter user added, "Deer eat snakes, birds, rodents, and lizards regularly in the North East. You can find tons of videos." Another commented, "When deer are protein deficient they'll eat basically anything. Especially after dropping a fawn."

Read more: 30 kids fall sick after eating mid-day meal in Bengal. Staffer says snake found in lentils