Amrabad monsoon opens up shield-tailed snakes for sloth bears
HYDERABAD: Sloth bears digging through rain-softened soil for ants and other insects in Telangana’s Amrabad Tiger Reserve are also feeding occasionally on shield-tailed snakes, a study has found, as reported by TOI.
Researchers examined 143 sloth bear scat samples collected across the Nallamala forests. They found remains of Uropeltis ellioti, a burrowing snake, in five samples. The snake remains appeared in 3.5% of all samples.
The study records the finding as one of the first scat-based indications of Uropeltis in the diet of sloth bears.
Snake remains linked to monsoon season
Researchers from the Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society (HyTiCoS) and the Biological Laboratory of Amrabad Tiger Reserve conducted the 18-month study between July 2024 and December 2025. The Asian Journal of Research in Zoology published the study.
N. Akhil Goud, G. Bapu Reddy, Imran Siddqui, Sunil S. Hiremath, Emmanuel Kote, Ravikanth Manchiryala, Mahendar Reddy, Korutla Srikanth and Vikas Rathod authored the study.
Researchers found most of the snake remains in scat collected during the monsoon. This suggests a seasonal link between rainfall, bear digging and access to underground prey.
Wildlife biologist Mahendar Reddy said sloth bears have adapted to feed on ants and termites. They use their powerful claws and snouts to dig into soil and insect colonies.
Wet soil may expose hidden prey
Rainfall softens the forest floor and makes it easier for bears to excavate soil. Wet conditions may also bring shield-tailed snakes closer to the surface or make them easier for bears to find.
Researchers identified characteristic scales and vertebral fragments of Uropeltis ellioti in the five scat samples. The samples also contained insect and fruit remains. This indicates that the snakes formed part of a mixed diet rather than a specialised food source.
Ants remained the most frequently recorded food item. Black ants occurred in 38.5% of the samples, followed by red ants at 25.2%.
Cassia fistula occurred in 13.3% of samples. Millipedes and other beetles appeared in 8.4% each. Crabs and Polyalthia cerasoides occurred in 5.6% each. Tenebrio molitor larvae accounted for 2.8%.
For the analysis, researchers soaked the scat samples for 24 hours. They then washed them through fine sieves to recover undigested insect, plant and animal remains.
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