Snake shed skin consumed by Kinosternon vogti: a case of interspecific keratophagy

Abstract

Some reptile species can consume their own shed skin or that of conspecifics; despite its prevalence, the benefits of eating shed skin remain poorly understood. Here, we report a field observation in which a Vallarta Mud Turtle ( Kinosternon vogti ) consumed a snake shed skin of Masticophis lineatus (Bocourt, 1890) in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico. This type of record could allow us to understand the keratophagous behaviour between and within reptile species.