What Animal Would Eat A Dead Snake

In my job, I get many calls about snakes. Virtually people want to know how to tell a venomous from a nonvenomous 1 and how to keep them out of the one thousand. I was recently reading a new book out past Dr. Sean Graham entitled American Snakes and in the affiliate on snake defenses, he provided a long litany of local creatures who consumed snakes – some surprised me. Check this out…

The "cottonmouth" gape of this venomous snakes is a alert. Notice the banded coloration of this individual.
Photo: UF IFAS Wild animals

First, most who do only consume smaller species of snakes – simply the listing is all the same surprising. Spiders… spiders were on the list. He specifically chosen out the black widow – who probably could kill a small serpent, but indicated there were others. Scorpions, centipedes, burn down ants, carpenter ants, giant water bugs, crayfish, and venereal made the list as well. Some of these may consume snakes only later they are expressionless – but some can kill small ones.

From the vertebrate globe he mentions the larger salamanders (such as the hellbender), and other snakes (such equally the short-tailed serpent and the coral ophidian). There are several mammals including shrews, moles, and even the rodents themselves are consumers of snakes! He describes how hoofed mammals (such deer, goat, and horses) exercise not consume snakes, but can completely destroy one past raising and stopping on them – leaving only small segments remaining. They accept found the remains of snakes in the stomachs of all predatory mammals only the snake's greatest threat are birds… past a long shot. Species from passerines to raptors have been known to kill and consume snakes.

What nigh venomous snakes – who consumes rattlesnakes and cottonmouths?

There are surprises here besides…

Bullfrogs… bullfrogs basically consume what they tin get into their mouths but this includes snakes – and venomous ones equally well (though they would be pocket-sized ones). From the fish world, both the gar and largemouth bass are known to consume venomous snakes.

A coyote moving on Pensacola Embankment near dawn.
Photo provided by Shelley Johnson.

Opossums are known to eat at to the lowest degree 12 species of snakes, including venomous ones. They too consume ticks, burn ants, and take a very low occurrence of rabies – a cool fauna to have around.

Other mammal consumers of venomous snakes include raccoons, otters, fox, bobcats, coyotes, and black bears. Information technology is understood they must take smaller members of the venomous serpent population – simply a snake control is ophidian command.

Most wading birds in our marshes consume snakes, including venomous ones, only it is the red-tailed hawk and the smashing horned owl that are the masters. Cherry-tailed hawks are known to consume at least 35 species of snakes, including venomous ones, and – unlike other snake predators – are a larger part of their diet, they seek them out. Great Horned Owls swallow at least xiii species, and venomous ones are on the menu.

From the reptile world nosotros begin with the alligator, who has trivial trouble consuming big specimens of both the rattlesnake and the cottonmouth. However, many are snakes… yeah, snakes eat snakes and some eat venomous ones. Coral snakes, coachwhips, and cottonmouths accept been known to swallow other snakes. All the same, information technology is the Eastern Indigo and the Kingsnakes who actively seek out venomous species. It is known that kingsnakes have a protein in their blood that makes them immune to the viper's venoms – and it appears the vipers know this and avoid them. It is non known whether the indigo is immune, simply information technology is known they will seek out venomous snakes and eat. Both of these snakes tin accept relatively large venomous species.

Of these two, it is the Kingsnake who is the "king" – consuming at least 40 species of snakes. Notwithstanding, both the kingsnakes and the indigo are on the declined. The eastern indigo is currently federally listed as endangered – in that location has not been a verified tape of one in the Florida panhandle since 1997. However, there are anecdotal reports and we encourage anyone who has seen one to send u.s.a. a photograph. There is an active indigo restoration plan going on in Alabama and in the Apalachicola River surface area. These are the largest native snakes in the U.Southward. (virtually eight feet) and, along with the half dozen-pes kingsnakes, are oftentimes killed. There is evidence that as the eastern kingsnake populations decline copperhead populations increment, and Vis versa. Some areas most Atlanta are currently experiencing a copperhead "nail". Clearly, we should reconsider killing both the indigo and kingsnakes. We also sympathize that habitat loss is another cause of their turn down, particularly in the case of the indigo.

When looking at this list of snake consumers we encounter species that cause other problems – alligators, raccoons, coyotes, and bears have all take had their negative bug. But many we just do not similar, such as the opossum, really cause us no harm and control snake populations. Everything has its identify in the local environment and non i species seeks out humans for the purpose of harming us – this would include snakes. The negative encounters are for other reasons. But for those who have a deep fear, or are currently experiencing high snake numbers, seeing one of the animals on this in the neighborhood could exist a relief.

References

Graham, South. 2018. American Snakes. John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore MD. Pp 293.

O'Connor, 1000. 2018. Personal communication.

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Sea Grant Extension Agent in Escambia Canton

Source: https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/2018/04/14/which-local-creatures-eat-venomous-snakes/#:~:text=Scorpions%2C%20centipedes%2C%20fire%20ants%2C,some%20can%20kill%20small%20ones.

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