The reticulated python was quite aware that there were other intelligent beings in the jungle. In fact, she lived quite close to one of the treehouses that someone called home. She was much less sophisticated, preferring to sleep in the crevice of a tree, or curl up on a large branch. However, due to her bright and odd coloration, she had little success hunting in the jungle. She was an ambush predator, meaning she would lurk in the shadows and undergrowth, waiting for her prey. Instead, she often hunted close to the beaches of the archipelago, where her colors blended in with the environment much better. She was naturally quite a massive creature as well, capable of taking down large prey such as monkeys and deers. There was no way to hide every bit of her with foliage in the jungle. The beaches, however, she could partially bury herself in sand.

On that particular day, she had planted a small rat carcass along with a bundle of berries upon the sand at the border of the jungle. Upon closer inspection, one would find that the rat had been drained of its blood. She didn't mind eating predator or prey, thus the combination of meat and herbs. In fact, she didn't eat her prey whole like other snakes - no - her digestive system was quite different. She feasted solely upon blood, as it gave her life and energy, unlike meat. She had learned early on that her stomach simply rejected meat, plants, or otherwise. For whatever reason, she had been born with the ability to suck blood, and could only digest blood. The reticulated python was covered in sand, snout poking out ever so slightly so that she could smell and see anything that tried to approach the rat's body. Waiting, watching, hungry.

Although he had been called a snake several times in the past – and even had a snake form of his own – Michael didn't actually know all that much about the creatures. He usually tried to avoid them, knowing that certain breeds could have venom that would bring him down quite easily, and even breeds that didn't would still hurt like hell. Of course, the dealer would've never expected that a snake would show up that was like himself, and Diya. A vampire, to put it in simple terms. Although, the reptile was a bit different, since Michael was able to eat meat and plants, as well as drink blood. Trying to imagine a life without being able to eat anything else... well, it sounded pretty damn awful to him, if he was honest. He loved the baked goods that his sister was able to make for him and others, and he also enjoyed the meals that Goldie made for the group as a whole on occasion. Blood, meanwhile, didn't have much of a distinctive taste to him, and he certainly didn't go seeking it out, not unless he was feeling particularly starved after a while of not feeding.

The thief did find himself drawn in by the trap that the snake had set, but it wasn't because he was out for food. Rather, he had made a habit of taking in rats as pets, and when he saw a rat that looked like it was just injured – at least from afar – he found himself frowning. He moved in long strides across the sand, short legs pushing him forward until he was next to the pile of berries and the rat carcass. Immediately, the bobcat found his ears pinning back, a soft displeased hiss leaving him, "Ah, shit... I'm sorry, little guy. I don't know what kind of person would just kill you and then leave you..." He leaned down to sniff lightly at the berries, wondering what kind of offering the pile was. As he stood up straight once again, he glanced around him, wondering whether he had simply missed someone who had left the rat as a future meal. He was unaware of the python's presence – at least for the moment.