> how would this deter predators? Maybe the predator's carcass next to a half eaten garter snake is meant to serve as a lesson to other potential predators. O

> how would this deter predators? Maybe the predator's carcass next to a half eaten garter snake is meant to serve as a lesson to other potential predators. Or perhaps the aim is not to deter but to simply take one natural predator down with them for the good of their species.