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3 February 2025 Video Evidence of a Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) Preying Upon a Live Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Duckling in Louisiana
Brad M. Glorioso, Alex Landry, Gabrielle Mandill
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Abstract

Most animal matter in the diet of the omnivorous Trachemys scripta (Pond Slider) consists of invertebrate prey items such as insects, crustaceans, and mollusks, but often also includes fish and amphibians. Reptiles, birds, and mammals are less commonly reported, and even when found, it is usually unknown if they were captured alive, as Pond Sliders will certainly scavenge dead animals. Though it is well known that Chelydra serpentina (Snapping Turtle) will prey upon waterfowl from the water surface, reports of such encounters are seemingly rare in Pond Sliders. Here, we document with video evidence an adult female T. s. elegans (Red-eared Slider) emerging from the water to successfully take and drown an Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard) duckling.

Brad M. Glorioso, Alex Landry, and Gabrielle Mandill "Video Evidence of a Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) Preying Upon a Live Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Duckling in Louisiana," Southeastern Naturalist 23(4), N90-N93, (3 February 2025). https://doi.org/10.1656/058.023.0417
Published: 3 February 2025
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