Quid Pro Quo: A Documented Case of Cannibalism in the Red-Bellied Black Snake <i>Pseudechis porphyriacus</i> in Lamington (Queensland, Australia)
The red-bellied black snake (<i>Pseudechis porphyriacus</i>) is a member of the Elapidae family and is distributed on the east coast of Australia. The species is known to feed on a variety of ectothermic prey, including frogs and lizards. It is also known to be ophiophagous (snake-feedin...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-04-01
|
| Series: | Diversity |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/5/610 |
| Summary: | The red-bellied black snake (<i>Pseudechis porphyriacus</i>) is a member of the Elapidae family and is distributed on the east coast of Australia. The species is known to feed on a variety of ectothermic prey, including frogs and lizards. It is also known to be ophiophagous (snake-feeding), and stomach-content analyses suggest that <i>P. porphyriacus</i> also exhibits cannibalistic behavior, yet this extreme case of ophiophagy has rarely been documented. Here, a case of cannibalism in <i>P. porphyriacus</i>, which was observed in Lamington (Queensland, Australia), has been photographically documented and is described. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1424-2818 |