A Preliminary Study of the Food of the Dwarf Snake, Eirenis modestus (Martin, 1838) (Serpentes: Colubridae), in İzmir and Manisa Provinces

Authors

KERİM ÇİÇEK
AHMET MERMER

DOI

-

Abstract

The stomach contents of 14 (4 Female Female, 4 Male Male and 6 juveniles) Eirenis modestus specimens captured during various field studies in İzmir and Manisa provinces were examined, and a total of 44 prey items were found. An analysis of the stomach contents revealed that prey belonging to the classes Insecta (75%), Chilopoda (11%), and Reptilia (2%) constituted the diet of the species; the remaining prey could not be identified. The most frequently consumed prey were the orders Coleoptera (32%) and Orthoptera (21%) by number; Coleoptera (36%), Orthoptera (36%), and Scolopendromorpha (29%) by frequency; and Scolopendromorpha (72%) by volume. Based on these results, Eirenis modestus feeds predominantly on arthropods found under stones (86%).

Keywords

Dwarf snake, Eirenis modestus, food composition

First Page

399

Last Page

402

Recommended Citation

ÇİÇEK, KERİM and MERMER, AHMET (2007) "A Preliminary Study of the Food of the Dwarf Snake, Eirenis modestus (Martin, 1838) (Serpentes: Colubridae), in İzmir and Manisa Provinces," Turkish Journal of Zoology: Vol. 31: No. 4, Article 16. Available at: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/vol31/iss4/16