Featured Snake – Common Egg Eater
Common/Rhombic Egg-Eater
(Dasypeltis Scabra)
Scroll down for video of an egg eater doing its thing
Photo By Wildfleur
Common/Rhombic egg eaters are a very common occurring snake in the Southern Tip of Africa. When you come across them in the wild they rub their scales together making a hissing noise, they show their black gape (just like a mamba) and strike repeatedly. Thing is though they have virtually no teeth and are completely harmless, it is all a big show. They are specially adapted to feeding on birds eggs which they swallow whole, bony projections in the neck region are used to crush the egg, the contents are swallowed and the shell is regurgitated in a neat little package.
Areas: Egg-eaters are found throughout southern africa in rock crevices and termite mounds. They however do not occur in true desert and forest.
Habits: They Feed in spring and summer, fasting in the winter months.
Breeding: Females lay up to 25 eggs in late summer which take 2-3 months to hatch.
Danger to man: With their greatly reduced teeth they pose no threat to man whatsoever.
Photo By Wildsfleur
