First record of predation on a worm lizard Amphisbaena sp. (Reptilia: Amphisbaenidae) by the great kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus (Aves: Tyrannidae)

Abstract Predation on amphisbaenians by birds is rarely documented, likely due to the fossorial habits of these reptiles. Although the great kiskadee ( Pitangus sulphuratus ) is a widespread and opportunistic species with a broad diet, records of predation on fossorial squamates are scarce. Here, we report a predation event involving P. sulphuratus and an amphisbaenian in southern Brazil. In November 2025, we observed and photographed an individual of P . sulphuratus preying on an amphisbaenian in Rio Grande do Sul. The bird repeatedly struck the prey against a branch and then carried it to its nest, a behavior commonly associated with the handling of elongated or resistant prey. To our knowledge, this is the first documented record of predation on an amphisbaenian by P. sulphuratus . This observation expands the known trophic spectrum of the species and highlights the role of opportunistic passerines as occasional predators of fossorial reptiles, contributing to a better understanding of predator–prey interactions involving amphisbaenians in Neotropical ecosystems.