Video Evidence of a Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) Preying Upon a Live Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Duckling in Louisiana

Brad M. Glorioso^1,*, Alex Landry², and Gabrielle Mandill³

¹US Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, 700 Cajundome Boulevard, Lafayette, LA 70506. ²Canoe and Trail Adventures, 24401 US Highway 190, Lacombe, LA 70445. ³Coastal Marine Science, 1337 Smiling Fish Lane, St. Augustine, FL, 32080. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 23, Issue 4 (2024): N90–N93

First published early online: 28 December 2024

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.

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