Stomach Contents of Some 
Snakes from Eastern and Central North Carolina 
Richard F. Collins^ 
Department of Zoology, North Carolina State University, 
Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 
ABSTRACT. — Stomach contents of eight species of snakes from the 
Coastal Plain and Piedmont Plateau regions of North Carolina were 
identified. The majority of the snakes were of the genus Nerodia: N. 
sipedon sipedon contained primarily amphibians; N. taxispilota con- 
tained fishes; and single specimens of N. erythrogaster erythrogaster 
and N.fasciata fasciata contained frogs. Agkistrodon piscivorus pisci- 
vorus was omnivorous, and A. contortrix contortrix contained a frog 
and a small mammal. 
Food habits of snakes from various localities in the United States have 
been noted by a number of authors (see Brown 1979). That author also 
provided food records for a number of snakes in North and South 
Carolina. In addition to those studies cited by Brown, several other 
authors furnished pertinent information on snake food habits. Mushinsky 
and Hebrard (1977) and Oliver (1970) gave records for Nerodia spp. and 
Elaphe obsoleta, respectively. Stomach contents of 17 Agkistrodon pisci- 
vorus leucostoma were noted by Collins and Carpenter (1970) and of 4 
A. p. piscivorus by Goodman (1958). The food items of 93 individuals of 
the latter subspecies were provided by Wharton (1969). He studied 
snakes from Sea Horse Key, Florida, and also listed the findings of a 
number of other authors. Kofron (1978) studied several species of 
Nerodia as well as ^4./?. leucostoma from a variety of habitats. Although 
the subspecies were different from those in my study, their food habits 
appeared to be similar in terms of species designations. However, the 
small number of Nerodia spp. examined in both studies precludes any 
definite conclusions. 
Arthropods are not common foods of most colubrids or crotalids. 
However, as Brown noted, it is probably erroneous to assume that some 
species do not take arthropods under certain conditions. Of the species 1 
examined, only a single specimen of Elaphe o. obsoleta contained 
arthropod material, a larva of Phengodes sp. (glowworm). This snake was 
a mature female that did not contain any other food remains. Brown did 
not report arthropods from 39 specimens of this snake. However, 
arthropod remains (primarily lepidopteran larvae) were noted by him in 9 
Agkistrodon contortrix. I found a small mammal and a Rana catesbei- 
iCurrent address: College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, 3200 Grand Avenue, 
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Brimleyana No, 4: 157-159. December 1980. 
157 
