Fieldwork USA
Observation of the attempt of predation of Thamnophis proximus on Pseudacris crucifer - Spring peeper. A) First encounter with the interaction, both individuals immobile (red arrow= P. crucifer, yellow arrow=T. proximus). B) P. crucifer injured after predation following release from T. proximus.
Natural history short note: Observation of the attempt of predation of Thamnophis proximus on Pseudacris crucifer.
May 2022
On 16 March 2022 at 1250 h during a visual encounter survey to find and photograph amphibians and reptiles in the Fullerton Recreation Area, at Kisatchie National Forest, Pitkin, Louisiana, USA (31.01028°N, 92.98194°W, WGS 84, 65 m elev.) we (Luis Amador and Moses Michelsohn) observed an adult of Thamnophis proximus (Western Ribbonsnake) within a few centimeters of an immobile adult of Pseudacris crucifer. Seemingly, the snake had started to prey upon the frog but released it when it noticed our presence. Once we photographed them and took the geographic coordinates of the location of the sighting, we kept the two individuals in the same place, avoiding interfering with the predator-prey interaction.
We thank Jim Caldwell of Forest Service - Kisatchie National Forest for his assistance and Lisa Barrow for her comments on this note.