2 min listen
Blind Snakes and Screech-Owls
FromBirdNote Daily
ratings:
Length:
2 minutes
Released:
Aug 5, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
During the breeding season, when Eastern Screech-Owls capture the worm-like reptiles known as blind snakes, they deliver them to their chicks alive and wriggling. Some are gulped down immediately, but others escape by burrowing beneath the nest. The surviving “snakes” feed on the insect larvae they find in the nest — larvae that would otherwise parasitize the owl nestlings. A study conducted by Baylor University scientists found that screech-owl chicks grew faster and healthier in nests kept vermin-free by the blind snakes.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.
Released:
Aug 5, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
The Roost That Saved a Refuge: The discovery of roosting Bald Eagles spurred the creation of a wildlife refuge. by BirdNote Daily