Snake Tales: Southern Brown Egg-Eater
Just about all snakes are capable of stretching their jaws around prey larger than their own head, but the Southern Brown Egg-eater is arguably the most impressive at doing this.
THIS week we are focusing on a snake which has amazing feeding capabilities – the Southern Brown Egg-eater (Dasypeltis inornata)
What does it look like?
On the top side of its body, this snake is light brown in colour, with no patterns or stripes. Underneath, the belly is more of a yellow/brown colouration. The head is small and rounded, with no noticeable distinction from the body. They can grow to around a metre in length. This snake has keeled scales, whereby each scale has a ridge in the middle, similar to the scales of a Puff Adder. This gives the snake a rough texture and appearance.
If threatened, the egg-eater may coil and uncoil, rubbing its scales together. This produces a ‘hissing’ sound. It will also gape, exposing its toothless mouth, and strike repeatedly. It may scare some people, but it really is nothing to worry about. They actually look like they smiling when they do this!
Are the venomous?
No, and despite their big defensive display, these snakes cannot harm you in anyway. They are not capable of biting us, they don’t have any teeth to do so!
Their remarkable
feeding behaviour
The Southern Brown Egg-eater is truly an amazing snake. They have a brilliant sense of smell. Using their forked-tongue, they easily locate bird nests. What happens next is extraordinary. They slowly start to work their jaws around the egg, stretching them drastically.
Just about all snakes are capable of stretching their jaws around prey larger than their own head, but the egg-eater is arguably the most impressive at doing this. Contrary to popular belief, they do not dislocate their jaws. A snakes jaws are flexible, and are able to stretch widely. To put it in perspective, an adult egg-eaters head is about the size of one’s index finger, if not slightly smaller. Yet, they are capable of swallowing a large chicken egg whole. An incredible achievement.
Once the egg-eater has swallowed the egg completely, it keeps it in the ‘throat’ region. Using its neck muscles, it pushes the egg up against sharp bones situated on the spine, and cracks the egg shell. It then squeezes and crushes the egg slowly, swallowing the contents of the egg. Once it has squeezed out and swallowed everything inside the egg, it then regurgitates the crushed-up egg shell, and it comes out as a neat little package. It is a fascinating scene to watch.
They do not feed on reptile eggs, their diet is strictly bird eggs. They can live off just a handful of eggs a year.
No friend of a bird breeder
This nocturnal snake is a regular visitor to the aviaries of bird breeders, or those who keep chickens. The smell of the nests and eggs provides to be irresistible for these snakes. They come in during the night, snack on the eggs, and are gone by sunrise. Please do not kill them amid the frustration of losing eggs. Remember we are in their territory. Please rather remove them or have them removed by a snake-catcher, so they can be relocated to fulfill their role in nature.
PHOTOS: Nick Evans
