Recently, on a hike to the wetlands, Rick and Susan Remy observed a black kingsnake (Lampropeltis nigra) with its head in a hole in the ground. The snake was busy excavating soil. After a few minutes, the kingsnake backed out with an egg in its mouth. Rick and Susan watched as the snake swallowed the egg whole. Judging from the lumps in the snake’s body, it had already eaten a few. The eggs were most likely turtle eggs. We know there are a lot of pond sliders inhabiting the ponds at the wetlands, and Rick and Susan saw a slider up on dry land in the same spot (not too far from the ponds and prime location for digging a nest) just a week prior.
Pond sliders (Trachemys scripta) breed from May through July, and a female may lay one to three clutches of eggs during the season. The females excavate two to four inch nests in sandy or gravelly soil and will lay anywhere from 2 to 30 round eggs in a nest. Sliders are very good at hiding their nests, yet eggs are vulnerable to predators.
Black kingsnakes are constrictors and opportunistic eaters. They consume a variety of prey including other snakes, lizards, rodents, birds — and especially turtle eggs!
Be sure to check out the Fauna and Flora of Ruffner iNaturalist projects, join the projects, and contribute to them while on your hikes. Rick and Susan Remy are super contributors to both projects! Uploading observations to iNaturalist is a wonderful way to engage and interact with community scientists, and your observations help us to map and monitor plant and animal species of the mountain.
