Skip to main content

Zeb Hull

  • Biodiversity Journal, 10 (1): 047-056

    Shem Unger, Zeb Hull & Mark Rollins
    Diversity of vertebrate and invertebrate scavenging communities of reptile carcasses in the piedmont of North Carolina, USA
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.1.47.56

    ABSTRACT
    Scavenging of animal carcasses (carrion) is an important ecological process, which occurs when insects and vertebrates either aid in decomposition or removal of carcasses. However, very little is known regarding which species typically scavenge or which forensically important insects colonize recently deceased reptile carrion and in what relative frequencies. To this end, we deployed three reptile carcasses, a box turtle (Terrapene carolina), a snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina), and black rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus) near a road and monitored vertebrate and invertebrate scavengers visiting carcasses with non-invasive camera traps and manual collection of insects visiting carcasses during the Spring of 2018 near Wingate, North Carolina, USA. In total, we collected 233 invertebrates present on the carcass by hand net capture representing 14 taxonomic insect groupings and observed 16 vertebrate species (mammals and birds) from 86 observations scavenging on the remains, with white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), and Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) being the most frequent vertebrate scavengers detected on camera traps. Carcasses were colonized by several insects including the orders Coleoptera from families Silphidae carrion beetles (Oiceoptoma noveboracense and Oiceoptoma inequale) and Staphylinidae (Platydracus sp.), the order Diptera representing families Piophilidae (Prochyliza sp.), Calliphoridae (Calliphora sp. and Luicilla sp.), Muscidea (Musca sp.), and Stratiomyidae (Hermetia sp.) and order Hymenoptera family Formicidae (Prenolepsis sp.). This report adds to our knowledge on the biodiversity of both invertebrate and vertebrate scavenging guild communities which rely on reptile carrion as an ecological resource in terrestrial semi-forested environments.