Predation on the Prairie Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster) by the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) in Oklahoma, USA, with notes on opossum-snake interactions

At 2129 h on 21 March 2025, after conducting frog call surveys near a pond in Fort Gibson Wildlife Management Area, Wagoner County, Oklahoma, USA, the first author heard rustling noises within a patch of tall, dried grass. Upon investigation, he observed and recorded video footage (doi pending) of an adult D. virginiana tugging on the posterior body of a live large adult Prairie Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster) with its mouth. For ca. 20 min, the D. virginiana chewed and tugged on the posterior end of the snake, frequently repositioning its grip along various parts of the snake’s body as the snake attempted to escape (Fig. 1). The first author left the area, leaving the animals uninterrupted, and upon returning to the location ca. 70 min later, neither the D. virginiana nor L. calligaster could be relocated.