Next Article in Journal
First Worldwide Evidence of Bronchopulmonary Strongyle Nematodes and the First Report on Italy of Cryptosporidium sp. in Allochthonous Nutria (Myocastor coypus)
Next Article in Special Issue
The Herpetofauna of the Insular Systems of Mexico
Previous Article in Journal
Prevalence, Molecular Characterization, and Ecological Associations of Filarioid Helminths in a Wild Population of Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Previous Article in Special Issue
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of the Slender Racer (Orientocoluber spinalis) in South Korea
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Interesting Images

Quid Pro Quo: A Documented Case of Cannibalism in the Red-Bellied Black Snake Pseudechis porphyriacus in Lamington (Queensland, Australia)

1
Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35390 Gießen, Germany
2
LOEWE-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Diversity 2023, 15(5), 610; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050610
Submission received: 10 April 2023 / Revised: 26 April 2023 / Accepted: 28 April 2023 / Published: 29 April 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology, Systematics and Biodiversity of Reptiles)

Abstract

:
The red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) 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 P. porphyriacus also exhibits cannibalistic behavior, yet this extreme case of ophiophagy has rarely been documented. Here, a case of cannibalism in P. porphyriacus, which was observed in Lamington (Queensland, Australia), has been photographically documented and is described.

Australia abounds with a globally unique diversity of elapid snakes, many of which are amongst the most toxic serpents known to man [1]. A particularly enigmatic group of Australian elapids are the black snakes of the genus Pseudechis, a group of large snakes currently consisting of nine generally accepted species [2]. Members of Pseudechis are venomous and capable of delivering bites to cause severe envenoming leading to morbidity and death [3]. The genus further contains some of Australia’s most prominent snakes, including the king brown or mulga snake (Pseudechis australis) and the Collett’s snake (Pseudechis colletti) [2]. Another member of this genus that receives noteworthy recognition among the broader public is the red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus).
Pseudechis porphyriacus is certainly best known for its characteristic appearance. It is a large snake that displays a black dorsal coloration [1]. Laterally, it exhibits an intense deep-red colored band adjacent to a bright pastel-colored ventral side. The common name, red-bellied black snake, has been assigned to P. porphyriacus thanks to this enigmatic and somewhat unique red lateral band adjacent to the otherwise dark black side. As with other members of Pseudechis, P. porphyriacus is venomous. Its venom contains a range of toxins, such as phospholipase A2 and factor-Xa-like toxins and causes an array of envenoming symptoms in humans and domestic animals. These include local effects (e.g., swelling), systemic effects (e.g., nausea and vomiting), coagulotoxicity (anticoagulative effects), and myotoxicity [3,4,5,6,7]. Albeit most P. porphyriacus envenomings being of moderate severity, fatalities are known and bites should be considered a medical emergency [4,8,9]. The red-bellied black snake is distributed across the Australian east coast and inhabits moist habitats that are associated with water bodies, such as streams and ponds [1]. It is a well-known predator, particularly of ectothermic prey. The species has been reported to primarily feed on frogs but also to hunt for reptiles, small mammals, birds, and even fish [10,11]. It is also known as an occasionally ophiophagous (snake-feeding) species, and the literature sporadically mentions that red-bellied black snakes engage in cannibalism [1,10]. However, documented cases of the latter are scarce, and cannibalism in red-bellied black snakes is usually only mentioned as a sidenote. Here, a case of cannibalism between two individuals of P. porphyriacus is reported, which was observed and photographically documented on 13th of March in Lamington National Park, Queensland (Australia).
The author spotted a large P. porphyriacus individual during a walk through the national park at 14:39 h. The relatively large specimen of approximately 150 cm was hiding in the crevices of an artificial stone wall around 50 m away from a public parking space. The wall had been set up on the right-hand side of the footpath the author was following. Initially, only some parts of the snake’s body were visible, excluding the head. Meanwhile, the observed animal was moving stationary exhibiting the pulsative movements and signs of physical work usually associated with feeding on larger prey. Hence, the author opted not to continue his walk and instead further observed and documented the situation from a distance through his Canon EOS 650D with a 50–200 mm telezoom objective. After ca. 5 min, the observed animal retracted its head from the crevices, revealing that it was indeed feeding on prey, probably a snake based on the few visible details. Further retraction of the snake’s head allowed the author to examine the identity of the prey item further, thereby revealing that the observed snake was currently feeding on what appeared to be a fellow red-bellied black snake (Figure 1). An increase in the zoom validated this, as the preyed-upon snake was clearly identifiable through its characteristic black–red coloration (Figure 2).
After ca. 10 min of observation, the feeding snake started to retract fully from the stone wall and dragged its prey with it on the open space of the foodpath. Interestingly, this revealed not only the significant size of the observed snake but also its prey, which was seemingly of almost the same size (Figure 3). Accordingly, the observed individual had to exert tremendous efforts to feed on its prey which manifested in noticeable exhaling and scraping sounds. The overpowered prey was still alive during the feeding process, which was evident from its repeated attempts to escape its situation. At least on four instances, three of which took place on the footpath, the prey snake started to engage in longitudinal rolling. However, in all cases it was overpowered by its predator who, after brief pausing of the feeding motion, continued to swallow it (Figure 4). After ca. 25 min, around three-quarters of the prey snake were consumed and the initially observed snake retracted with its prey into the dense understory next to the footpath where the author lost his sight of it.
The predator–prey interactions of snakes are difficult to observe in situ, especially for shy and elusive species such as the red-bellied black snake [11]. The observations made herein are thus interesting to better understand the feeding ecology of these snakes and some new insights can be derived from them. For instance, it is noteworthy that both snakes were seemingly of equal size and also that the preyed-upon individual was alive throughout the observation and tried to escape from its predator. This shows that even large individuals of P. porphyriacus may fall victim to cannibalism and supports that members of this species are resistant to the venoms of their conspecifics. Most importantly, this work provides the first detailed, verbalized, and photographed documentation of cannibalism in red-bellied black snakes. Members of this species are known to be ophiophagous and some snakes, including cat snakes (Boiga irregularis) and black-bellied swamp snakes (Hemiaspis signata), have been reported as prey items [1,10]. The species is occasionally reported as cannibalistic, but detailed documentation has largely been missing so far. This may be caused due by cannibalism, although being engaged in it could be a relatively rare feeding strategy in P. porphyriacus. The study of Shine (1987) investigated the stomach contents of 238 Pseudechis specimens deposited in museum collections [10] including 135 P. australis and 103 other Pseudechis (Pseudechis butleri, Pseudechis colletti, Pseudechis guttattus, Pseudechis papuanus, and Pseudechis porphyriacus). The study found that, of all of the species looked at, only P. porphyriacus performed cannibalism [10]. However, of all of the examined individuals of that species, only a single snake from Queensland contained a conspecific in its stomach and thus was cannibalistic [10].
In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the feeding ecology and predatory behavior of the red-bellied black snake (P. porphyriacus). The observed cannibalistic event highlights the potential vulnerability of even large individuals to intraspecific predation. While cannibalism appears as a relatively rare feeding strategy in this species, further research is needed to fully understand the prevalence and significance of this behavior. It needs to be pointed out, however, that the hunting process itself was not observed herein. Therefore, it is unclear whether the observed case of cannibalism stems from a targeted attack or from elsewhere (e.g., two snakes originally targeting the same prey item as often observed from snakes in captivity). The findings of this study contribute to the broader understanding of predator–prey interactions in snakes and emphasize the importance of detailed documentation and observation to uncover rare and elusive behaviors.

Funding

The work of T.L. is funded by the Hesse Ministry of Science and Art via the LOEWE-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics and the German Research Foundation (Grant ID 505696476).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Acknowledgments

The author expresses his gratitude to Katharina E. Lüddecke for her support during the observation and beyond.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

References

  1. Eipper, S.; Eipper, T. Naturalist’s Guide to the Snakes of Australia; John Beaufoy Publishing Ltd.: Oxford, UK, 2020. [Google Scholar]
  2. Uetz, P.; Koo, M.; Aguilar, R.; Brings, E.; Catenazzi, A.; Chang, A.; Chaitanya, R.; Freed, P.; Gross, J.; Hammermann, M.; et al. A Quarter Century of Reptile and Amphibian Databases. Herpetol. Rev. 2021, 52, 246–255. [Google Scholar]
  3. Goldenberg, J.; Cipriani, V.; Jackson, T.N.W.; Arbuckle, K.; Debono, J.; Dashevsky, D.; Panagides, N.; Ikonomopoulou, M.P.; Koludarov, I.; Li, B.; et al. Proteomic and Functional Variation within Black Snake Venoms (Elapidae: Pseudechis). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. Part C Toxicol. Pharmacol. 2018, 205, 53–61. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  4. Lim, A.Y.L.; Singh, P.N.; Isbister, G.K. Severe Rhabdomyolysis from Red-Bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) Envenoming despite Antivenom. Toxicon 2016, 117, 46–48. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  5. Sanhajariya, S.; Duffull, S.B.; Isbister, G.K. Population Pharmacokinetics of Pseudechis porphyriacus (Red-Bellied Black Snake) Venom in Snakebite Patients. Clin. Toxicol. 2021, 59, 956–962. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  6. Padula, A.M.; Leister, E.M. Severe Neurotoxicity Requiring Mechanical Ventilation in a Dog Envenomed by a Red-Bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) and Successful Treatment with an Experimental Bivalent Whole Equine IgG Antivenom. Toxicon 2017, 138, 159–164. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  7. Wun, M.K.; Padula, A.M.; Greer, R.M.; Leister, E.M. A Review of 91 Canine and Feline Red-Bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) Envenomation Cases and Lessons for Improved Management. Aust. Vet. J. 2022, 100, 318–328. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  8. Sanhajariya, S.; Duffull, S.B.; Isbister, G.K. Investigating Myotoxicity Following Australian Red-Bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) Envenomation. PLoS ONE 2021, 16, e0256653. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  9. Weinstein, S.A.; Mirtschin, P.J.; Tristram, H.; Lawton, L.; White, J. Local Morbidity from Red-Bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus, Elapidae) Envenoming: Two Cases and a Brief Review of Management. Toxicon 2018, 142, 34–41. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  10. Shine, R. The Evolution of Viviparity: Ecological Correlates of Reproductive Mode within a Genus of Australian Snakes (Pseudechis: Elapidae). Copeia 1987, 3, 551–563. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  11. Mo, M.; Hayler, P.; Hayler, A. Observations of Australian Red-Bellied Blacksnakes (Pseudechis porphyriacus) Preying on Freshwater Eels. Reptiles Amphib. 2020, 27, 91–93. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Figure 1. A case of cannibalism in red-bellied black snakes (Pseudechis porphyriacus). On 13 March 2023, the author spotted this large specimen feeding on a conspecific individual in a stone wall ca. 50 m from a parking space in Lamington National Park (Queensland, Australia). The animal was then observed henceforth for ca. 25 min. (Image taken with a Canon EOS650 equipped with a Canon 50–250 mm objective).
Figure 1. A case of cannibalism in red-bellied black snakes (Pseudechis porphyriacus). On 13 March 2023, the author spotted this large specimen feeding on a conspecific individual in a stone wall ca. 50 m from a parking space in Lamington National Park (Queensland, Australia). The animal was then observed henceforth for ca. 25 min. (Image taken with a Canon EOS650 equipped with a Canon 50–250 mm objective).
Diversity 15 00610 g001
Figure 2. Detailed image of the head section of the observed specimen while feeding on its prey. Superbly visible are the pronounced venom glands at the posterior part of the head and the pholidosis across the head. The prey snake can be clearly identified as another P. porphyriacus as per the characteristic black–red color pattern displayed. (Image taken with a Canon EOS650 equipped with a Canon 50–250 mm objective).
Figure 2. Detailed image of the head section of the observed specimen while feeding on its prey. Superbly visible are the pronounced venom glands at the posterior part of the head and the pholidosis across the head. The prey snake can be clearly identified as another P. porphyriacus as per the characteristic black–red color pattern displayed. (Image taken with a Canon EOS650 equipped with a Canon 50–250 mm objective).
Diversity 15 00610 g002
Figure 3. The large prey. After ca. 10 min of observation time, the observed specimen started to retract from the stone wall and moved, while feeding, onto the plain footpath adjacent to it. Therefore, it simultaneously retrieved its prey from the crevices. Surprisingly, both snakes were of almost the same size. (Image taken with a Canon EOS650 equipped with a Canon 50–250 mm objective).
Figure 3. The large prey. After ca. 10 min of observation time, the observed specimen started to retract from the stone wall and moved, while feeding, onto the plain footpath adjacent to it. Therefore, it simultaneously retrieved its prey from the crevices. Surprisingly, both snakes were of almost the same size. (Image taken with a Canon EOS650 equipped with a Canon 50–250 mm objective).
Diversity 15 00610 g003
Figure 4. Prey resistance. During the whole observation, the prey-individual was seemingly alive and tried to resist the feeding. This was undertaken by repeated attempts of longitudinal rolling as captured on this photograph. However, although multiple such attempts were made, the prey-snake was always overpowered by its predator. (Image taken with a Canon EOS650 equipped with a Canon 50–250 mm objective).
Figure 4. Prey resistance. During the whole observation, the prey-individual was seemingly alive and tried to resist the feeding. This was undertaken by repeated attempts of longitudinal rolling as captured on this photograph. However, although multiple such attempts were made, the prey-snake was always overpowered by its predator. (Image taken with a Canon EOS650 equipped with a Canon 50–250 mm objective).
Diversity 15 00610 g004
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Lüddecke, T. Quid Pro Quo: A Documented Case of Cannibalism in the Red-Bellied Black Snake Pseudechis porphyriacus in Lamington (Queensland, Australia). Diversity 2023, 15, 610. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050610

AMA Style

Lüddecke T. Quid Pro Quo: A Documented Case of Cannibalism in the Red-Bellied Black Snake Pseudechis porphyriacus in Lamington (Queensland, Australia). Diversity. 2023; 15(5):610. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050610

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lüddecke, Tim. 2023. "Quid Pro Quo: A Documented Case of Cannibalism in the Red-Bellied Black Snake Pseudechis porphyriacus in Lamington (Queensland, Australia)" Diversity 15, no. 5: 610. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050610

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop