OBSERVATION OF OPHIOPHAGY SUSPECT AND POSSIBLE ARBORAL BEHAVIOR IN Micrurus distans (SQUAMATA: ELAPIDAE) ON Leptodeira septentrionalis (SQUAMATA: DIPSADIDAE) AND COMMENTS ON ITS DISTRIBUTION IN SINALOA, MEXICO

Mauro Aguirre Zazueta; José David Jacobo González; Héctor Alexis Castro Bastidas; Jesús Alberto Loc Barragán

doi:10.22201/fc.25942158e.2023.3.735

Authors

Mauro Aguirre Zazueta Universidad para el Bienestar “Benito Juárez García”, Cosalá 80786, Sinaloa, México.
José David Jacobo González Reserva Ecológica del Mineral de Nuestra Señora Mundo Natural, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Cosalá 80780, Sinaloa, México.
Héctor Alexis Castro Bastidas Centro de Estudios Justo Sierra "CEJUS" http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6448-5639
Jesús Alberto Loc Barragán Postgrado en Ciencias Ambientales, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Zacapoaxtla, Puebla 73680, México.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22201/fc.25942158e.2023.3.735

Keywords:

Citizen science, Diet, Natural history, Leptodeira polysticta, Predation, Snakes

Abstract

The coral snake Micrurus distans is a species endemic to Mexico. It inhabits mainly terrestrial habitats, and little is known about its specific diet. Herein, we report an observation of ophiophagy in M. distans on a Leptodeira septentrionalis and possible arboreal behavior of the species. We also comment on the distribution of L. septentrionalis and argue for its inclusion in the herpetofaunal lists of Sinaloa, despite having been recorded in previous years and excluded in a recent listing. In addition, we verify the presence of the species in the municipality of Cosalá based on citizen science records. Finally, we conclude that these observations support the idea that M. distans is an opportunistic predator of other snakes and adaptable to environmental circumstances.

Author Biography

Héctor Alexis Castro Bastidas, Centro de Estudios Justo Sierra "CEJUS"

I am a biologist graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa and my area of specialty is zoology. My topics of interest are Herpetology, Ecology, Geographic Information Systems and Conservation. I am currently a master's student at the Centro de Estudios "Justo Sierra" (CEJUS) studying how the genetic structure of populations is modified by dispersal processes. I am also involved in outreach and exploration activities to better understand the amphibian communities of the state of Sinaloa in northwestern Mexico. In addition to my research interests, I enjoy nature, going to the movies, reading and listening to music.