This food is revolting!

In a reversal of the natural orthodoxy, a mouse intended as snakefood has killed its erstwhile eater. South Africa's Independent Online reports:

A tiny mouse was thrown into a cage as food for a viper - but turned the tables and killed the snake instead.

Firefighters in Nantou town, Taiwan, caught the 35cm snake and put it into a mouse cage for safe-keeping.

"We then found it a mouse for lunch," a firefighters spokesperson said. 

But the firefighters were stunned to see how aggressive the mouse became once it saw the predator.

"It attacked the snake continuously, biting and scratching it."

After a vicious 30 minute battle, the snake was dead and the mouse was left with hardly a scratch. Lan Sengqiu, the chief fireman, added: "Perhaps it used up its venom when we caught it, and perhaps it was a novice predator."