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Diet of New Mexico Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi obscurus) in the Sierra San Luis and Sierra Pan Duro, México

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Complete Citation

  • Mociño-Deloya, Estrella, Setser, Kirk, Heacker, Marcy, and Peurach, Suzanne C. 2015. "Diet of New Mexico Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi obscurus) in the Sierra San Luis and Sierra Pan Duro, México." Journal of Herpetology, 49, (1) 104–107. https://doi.org/10.1670/13-082.

Overview

Abstract

  • Abstract We examined the diet of New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnakes (Crotalus willardi obscurus) from the Sierra San Luis and the Sierra Pan Duro in the northern Sierra Madre Occidental, México. All snakes included in this study were encountered during August, September, and October in 2003 and 2004. Including recaptures of previously captured individuals, 107 of 199 snakes contained at least one prey item. We examined 103 prey items from 92 of these snakes; some snakes contained multiple prey items. Approximately two-thirds of prey items were ectotherms (54.4% lizards and 13.6% scolopendromorph centipedes); birds (21.4%) and mammals (10.7%) were also taken. The diet of juvenile snakes (n = 32) consisted primarily of lizards (62.5%) and centipedes (25.8%), although large juveniles also consumed mammals (6.3%) and passerine birds (6.3%). Adult snakes (n = 71) fed primarily on lizards (50.7%) and passerine birds (28.2%) but also consumed mammals (12.7%) and centipedes (8.4%). Crotalus willardi in the Sierra San Luis and Sierra Pan Duro consumed more birds than has been reported from C. willardi in nearby populations and continued to consume centipedes as adults. , Resumen Examinamos la dieta de la New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi obscurus) en la Sierra San Luis y la Sierra Pan Duro en el norte de la Sierra Madre Occidental, México, de serpientes colectadas en los meses de agosto, septiembre y octubre en 2003 y 2004. Capturamos 199 serpientes contando capturas y recapturas. Y de ellas 107 contenían restos de por lo menos una presa. Examinamos 103 restos de presas provenientes de 92 serpientes; algunas serpientes presentaban restos de múltiples presas. Aproximadamente dos tercios de las presas fueron ectotermos (54.4% lagartijas y 13.6% ciempiés); también fueron consumidas aves (21.4%) y mamíferos (10.7%). La dieta de las serpientes juveniles (n = 32) consistió principalmente de lagartijas (62.5%) y ciempiés (25.8%), aunque los juveniles grandes también consumieron mamíferos (6.3%) y aves paseriformes (6.3%). Las serpientes adultas (n = 71) se alimentan principalmente de lagartijas (50.7%) y aves paseriformes (28.2%), aunque también consumieron mamíferos (12.7%) y ciempiés (8.4%). Las serpientes en la Sierra San Luis y la Sierra Pan Duro consumieron más aves de lo que ha sido reportado para las poblaciones cercanas y los adultos continúan alimentándose de ciempiés.

Publication Date

  • 2015

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