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Note: Predation of Jaeger’s Ground Snake by Roadside hawk

Article in Herpetological Review · March 2018

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 NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 89

NATURAL HISTORY NOTES

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Recommended citation for notes appearing in this section is: Goldberg, S. R., and C. R. Mahrdt. 2012. Bogertophis rosaliae:
reproduction. Herpetol. Rev. 43:655.

CAUDATA — SALAMANDERS the first report of arthropod predation on A. barbouri, and the
second report of predation of A. barbouri eggs.
AMBYSTOMA BARBOURI (Streamside Salamander). JACOB M. HUTTON (e-mail: jakehutton@uky.edu) and STEVEN J.
PREDATION. Ambystoma barbouri larvae are known to be PRICE, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Ken-
preyed upon by centrarchid fishes (Kats et al. 1988. Behav. tucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40508, USA (e-mail: steven.price@uky.edu).
Neural Biol. 50:126–131), flatworms (Petranka et al. 1987.
Oecologia 71:624–630), larval Pseudotriton montanus (Kats 1986.
Herpetol. Rev. 17:61–62), and Nerodia s. sipedon (Kats 1986, op.
cit.). Larval Eurycea cirrigera are the only documented predators
of A. barbouri eggs (Petranka 1984. J. Herpetol. 18:48–55). At 1500
h on 3 April 2017, in Fayette County, Kentucky, USA (37.89788°N,
84.39573°W; WGS 84), aquatic isopods (Lirceus fontinalis) were
found preying upon and penetrating the external gelatinous
casing of A. barbouri eggs in a second-order stream (Fig. 1). We
did not observe predation on the embryos. However, if a sufficient
amount of the casing is removed, death may occur through
various mechanisms such as early extraction of the embryo, and
facilitated entry of bacteria and other predatory aquatic taxa.
Though L. fontinalis was used as a non-predatory control in an
A. barbouri hatching plasticity study (Sih and Moore 1993. Am.
Nat. 142:947–960), we clearly observed the isopods penetrating
the gelatinous casing and therefore endangering the developing
Fig. 1. Ambystoma barbouri eggs being preyed upon by aquatic iso-
embryos, which likely led to mortality. To our knowledge, this pods (Lirceus fontinalis).
is the first report of a crustacean feeding on A. barbouri eggs,

Herpetological Review 49(1), 2018

 130 NATURAL HISTORY NOTES
We thank Suranaree University of Technology, National
Research Council of Thailand, Thailand Institute of Science and
Technological Research, and Sakaerat Environmental Research
Station for supporting our ongoing research on the ecology of
venomous snakes living in the human-dominated landscapes of
the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve.
CURT H. BARNES (e-mail: chradbarnes@gmail.com), COLIN T.
STRINE, and PONGTHEP SUWANWAREE, School of Biology, Institute of
Science, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thai-
land; THOMAS MAJOR, School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University,
Gwynedd, UK.
DIADOPHIS PUNCTATUS (Ring-necked Snake). VENOM. Di-
adophis punctatus is a small fossorial species of mildly venom-
ous snake found throughout much of the United States, and por-
tions of Mexico and Canada. It is known to feed on amphibians,
reptiles, insects, slugs, and worms (Ernst and Ernst 2003. Snakes
of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Books, Washing-
ton, D.C. 668 pp.). Diadophis punctatus venom is reported to
be lethal within minutes to snakes (O’Donnell et al. 2007. Toxi-
con. 50:810–815) and lizards (Anton 1994. Bull. Chicago Herpe-
tol. Soc. 29:95), and lethal within seconds to Plethodon serratus
(Mendelson 2014. Herpetol. Rev. 45:709–710).
On 17 May 2017 in Harlan County, Kentucky, USA, a D.
punctatus was observed struggling in a small stream. Upon
further investigation it was determined that the snake had
captured a Plethodon glutinosus (Fig. 1). The salamander was
rendered motionless within seconds of our initial observation, at
which time the snake pulled the salamander from the water and
onto the bank. The snake was not followed to avoid interrupting
its meal. Although the snake was not observed seizing the
salamander, and therefore the exact time from prey capture
to immobilization is not known, we provide evidence that D.
punctatus venom likely immobilizes Plethodon glutinosus
rapidly after capture.
Fig. 1. Diadophis punctatus subduing a Plethodon glutinosus in a
small stream, Kentucky, USA.
CHRISTOPHER E. SMITH, Wildlife Research & Consulting Services,
LLC, PO Box 803, Lakeland, Minnesota 55043, USA (e-mail: christopher.
smith@fieldecology.com); DANIEL ROBINSON, PO Box 514, Cumberland,
Kentucky 40823, USA (e-mail: edger_37909@yahoo.com).
Herpetological Review 49(1), 2018
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ERYTHROLAMPRUS JAEGERI (Jaeger’s Ground Snake). PRE-
DATION. Erythrolamprus jaegeri is a small (to ca. 550 mm total
length) dipsadid snake that occurs in floodplains of open areas
of south and southeast Brazil as well as Argentina and Uruguay
(Dixon 1987. Ann. Carnegie Mus. 56:173–191; Giraudo 2001. Ser-
pientes de la Selva Paranaense y del Chaco Húmedo. L. O. L. A.,
Buenos Aires. 328 pp.). Although records of predation on snakes
by birds are abundant in the literature, the only record we know
of for E. jaegeri is that of Tozetti et al. (2011. Panamjas 6:65–67),
who found an individual of this species in stomach contents of
a Ciconia maguari (Maguari Stork). Here we report a case of pre-
dation of E. jaegeri by Rupornis magnirostris (Roadside Hawk), a
raptor occurring from Mexico to Argentina.
At approximately 1500 h on 26 April 2014, at Palmares do
Sul city, Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil (30.3723°S,
50.3458°W; WGS 84), we observed a R. magnirostris leaving a
floodplain and crossing a road with an E. jaegeri in its talons. The
snake was still alive and exhibited vigorous movements when the
hawk landed on a perch and started to feed on the snake (Fig. 1).
When approached by the observers, the bird flew away carrying
the snake, which was apparently dead.
Fig. 1. Predation of Erythrolamprus jaegeri by Rupornis magnirostris
in southern Brazil.
GILIANDRO G. SILVA, Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação de
Ecossistemas Aquáticos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Rio Grande
do Sul, Brazil (e-mail: giliandrog@gmail.com); ALEXANDRO M. TOZETTI,
Laboratório de Ecologia de Vertebrados Terrestres, Universidade do Vale
do Rio dos Sinos, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (e-mail: alexandro.tozetti@
gmail); ROBERTO BAPTISTA OLIVEIRA – Museu de Ciências Naturais,
Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
ERYTHROLAMPRUS POECILOGYRUS CAESIUS. REPRODUC-
TION. Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus a medium-sized snake that
is predominantly terrestrial and diurnal and is widely distributed
in South America (Vitt and Vangilder 1983. Amphibia-Reptilia
4:273–276; Dixon and Markezich 1992. Texas J. Sci. 44:131–166).
In northeastern Argentina, it is frequently found near rivers and
lagoons, and feeds mainly on anurans, with occasional ingestion
of alternative prey such as Cercosaura schreibersii (Prieto et al.
2012. J. Herpetol. 46:402–406) and geckos (Alencar and Nasci-
mento 2014. Herpetol. J. 24:79–85). Here we report the first ob-
servation of mating of E. poecilogyrus caesius in the wild.
At 1140 h on 29 September 2013, in Presidencia de la Plaza
Department, Chaco Province, Argentina (27.1062°S, 59.6011°W,
WGS 84; 81 m elev.), we observed a mating pair of E. poecilogyrus
caesius (male SVL = 375.5 mm, tail length = 71 mm; female SVL