Monsoon opens an underground menu for Amrabad’s sloth bears | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: Sloth bears digging through rain-softened soil for ants and other insects in Telangana’s Amrabad Tiger Reserve are also turning up an unusual underground prey — shield-tailed snakes.Researchers examining 143 sloth bear scat samples collected across the Nallamala forests found remains of Uropeltis ellioti, a secretive burrowing snake, in five samples, accounting for 3.5% of the total. The study describes this as one of the first scat-based records suggesting the presence of Uropeltis in the diet of sloth bears.The 18-month study, conducted between July 2024 and Dec 2025 by researchers from Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society (HyTiCoS) and the Biological Laboratory of Amrabad Tiger Reserve, was published in the Asian Journal of Research in Zoology.The study was authored by N Akhil Goud, G Bapu Reddy, Imran Siddqui of HyTiCoS, Sunil S Hiremath, Emmanuel Kote, Ravikanth Manchiryala, Mahendar Reddy, Korutla Srikanth and Vikas Rathod.Monsoon opens underground menuThe snake remains were mostly detected in scat collected during the monsoon, suggesting a seasonal link between rainfall, bear digging and access to underground prey.Wildlife biologist Mahender Reddy said sloth bears are adapted to feed on ants and termites, using their powerful claws and snouts to dig into soil and insect colonies. During the rains, moisture softens the forest floor, making it easier for bears to excavate. Wet conditions may also make shield-tailed snakes more accessible or active near the surface.Researchers identified characteristic scales and vertebral fragments of Uropeltis ellioti in the five scat samples. The samples also contained insect and fruit remains, suggesting that the snakes were part of a mixed diet rather than a specialised food source.Ants remain stapleAnts continued to dominate the bears’ diet. Black ants had the highest frequency of occurrence at 38.5%, followed by red ants at 25.2%. Cassia fistula occurred in 13.3% of samples, while millipedes and other beetles were recorded in 8.4% each. Crabs and Polyalthia cerasoides occurred in 5.6% each, while Tenebrio molitor larvae accounted for 2.8%.For analysis, scat samples were soaked for 24 hours and washed through fine sieves to recover undigested insect, plant and animal remains.Researchers said the finding expands the known dietary range of sloth bears to include underground vertebrate prey and highlights their ability to adapt their diet to seasonal conditions. It also underlines the importance of preserving intact soil and leaf-litter layers that support subterranean species and the wider forest food web.Amrabad Tiger Reserve covers 2,611 sq km, including 2,166 sq km of core area and 445 sq km of buffer, across the Nallamala Hills.