Predation of Helicops angulatus (Serpentes: Colubridae) by Didelphis marsupialis (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) in the Brazilian Amazon

Several mammal species are known predators of snakes, both venomous and non-venomous, and such interactions are well documented in the literature. This study reports the first record of predation on Helicops angulatus (Linnaeus, 1758), a mildly venomous semiaquatic snake, by Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758, an omnivorous marsupial known for its resistance to snake venom. The event, filmed in an anthropized area in southern Amazonas, Brazil, involved a female carrying a juvenile while consuming the snake. The predation of a venomous, semiaquatic prey by a nocturnal, terrestrial mammal expands the known trophic repertoire of the species.

KEYWORDS:
Feeding behavior; Neotropical marsupial; ophiophagy; snake consumption; trophic interection