Mutual Mortality of Great Horned Owl and Southern Black Racer: a Potential Risk of Raptors Pryeing on Snakes

摘要

We encountered a dead southern black racer snake (Coluber constrictor priapus) coiled around a dead Great Horned owl (Bubo virginianus). We suggest the owl was strangled by the snake before The snake died of wounds inflicted by the owl. There Are previous reports of intense physical struggle be- Tween Great Horned Owls (and other raptors) and large Constrictors but this is the first documented report of Mutual mortality between a Great Honed Owl and a Nake.