Common Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra) from the Northern Cape feeding on a bird's egg.

(Photo: Johan Marais)

Egg-eating snakes Michael F. Bates are unusual in that their diet consists entirely of bird eggs. In fact, there are only two groups of snakes worldwide that feed entirely on bird eggs. One of these is the genus Dasypeltis (African egg-eaters) and the other is the genus Elachistodon (Indian egg-eaters). There are 10 species of Dasypeltis distributed throughout Africa and in Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, but only one species of Indian egg-eater is known, namely E. westermanni, a poorly-known snake found in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Like the African egg-eaters, this snake is specially adapted processes on the backbone a short distance behind the head that function in crushing egg shells.
African egg-eaters are slender, nocturnal snakes often found in trees, although some species are equally at home on the ground. Three species of egg-eaters occur in southern Africa, of which the Common Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra) is the most widespread. The typical colour pattern consists of a grey background with an alternating series of square to elongate black saddles (separated by narrow white bands) and black lateral bars. This species has an extensive distribution in Africa south of the Sahara, but also occurs along the Nile valley, extending into Egypt. In fact, it is probably one of the most widespread snakes in the world. Certainly it is the most widely distributed snake in the Free State and one of the most common in the region. These snakes may reach a total length of almost one meter. Namibian snakes with hourglass-shaped dorsal markings were once described as a separate subspecies (D. scabra loveridgei). The East African Egg-eater (D. medici) occurs in a variety of colour patterns, including plain orange and brown, but in South Africa it is usually grey or pinkish-grey with a broad black band along the backbone that is interrupted at regular intervals by narrow white bars, with narrow dark bars along the flanks. This species occurs in the eastern and south-eastern parts of Africa, from Kenya to northern KwaZulu-Natal. It grows to a length of almost 90 cm in Southern Africa, but specimens as long as one meter are found in East Africa. The Southern Brown Egg-eater (D. inornata) is plain reddish to dark brown in colour and grows to a length of nearly 80 cm. Although plain brown versions of the Common Eggeater do occur in the eastern Free State and

Typically marked Common Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra ) from near Herbertsdale, Western Cape.
(Photo: Marius Burger)

Gauteng, Southern Brown Egg-eaters can be distinguished by their longer tails and red, rather than black, tongues. These snakes are endemic to eastern South Africa and Swaziland. Specimens have been found near the northeastern border of the Free State and the species may occur peripherally within the province. The other seven species are found outside Southern Africa. Perhaps the most poorly known is the Palm Egg-eater (D. palmarum) which is restricted to the coastal regions of Gabon and Angola where it is apparently often found in palm trees. This species may be uniform brown in colour, brown with faint darker markings, or grey with narrow, dark, often continuous dorsal bands.

Palm Egg-eater (Dasypeltis palmarum) from Soyo, NW Angola. (Photo: Tim Baynham)

acutely developed sense of smell. Taste particles are picked up by the constantly flicking tongue. Only fresh eggs are eaten, but these may contain partly developed embryos. In the process of swallowing these snakes are able to dislocate their lower jawbones, and the skin between the scales on the throat can be stretched until almost transparent. Muscular contractions press the specially The Montane Egg-eater (D. atra) adapted vertebral processes down occurs at high elevations (usually onto the egg. Once the egg has above 1500 m) in north-east been crushed and the contents Africa, from Ethiopia to Tanzania. swallowed, the snake regurgitates It may be brown, reddish brown, a flattened package of crushed black, or pinkish grey with brown to shell and then moves away. If a reddish bands along the body. The small embryo is present, it is record length is 1,1 m. swallowed together with the liquid contents of the egg, but if the The Forest Egg-eater (D. fasciata) embryo is large, it is expelled with has unusually large eyes. It is grey the egg package. In some parts of to brown in colour, usually with the egg-eater's range there are few poorly defined dark markings. This trees and here the snakes species is mainly arboreal and has apparently rob the nests of Southern Brown Egg-eater (Dasypeltis inornata) from Pietermaritzburg. ground-nesting birds such as a large range in the forested (Photo: Johan Marais) regions of central and western plovers and quails, and probably Africa, extending into Angola. In also nests built between grass West Africa it is known to reach lengths of 1,15 m and is stalks and in small shrubs. therefore the largest known species of egg-eater. Although a large adult egg-eater is capable of swallowing a African egg-eaters can consume eggs up to three times as fowl's egg, it is not often that such large individuals are wide as their own heads. They locate their food by an encountered. In nature snakes have many enemies such as birds of prey and carnivorous mammals and they also have to avoid fires. Therefore, not many reach a large size. For East African Egg-eater example, even though Common Egg-eaters in southern (Dasypeltis medici ) Africa are known to reach almost one meter in length from St Lucia. on occasions, most adults found are about half (Photo: Johan this size. Marais) Egg-eaters feed voraciously during the warmer months when most birds are breeding and laying eggs. When the opportunity presents itself they will happily consume a few eggs at a time. They are able to build up fat supplies for winter and other lean periods and can therefore survive without feeding for long periods of

Three new species were described from West Africa in 2006, namely D. confusa, D. gansi and D. sahelensis. Another species from the Ethiopian highlands (D. abyssina) was confirmed as a valid species. They all have colour patterns similar to those of the Common Egg-eater, except the West African Egg-eater (D. confusa) which has the dorsal saddles joined to the lateral bars. The latter species may also occur in Angola.

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time. In the warmer parts of southern Africa, however, feeding occurs throughout the year with the possible exception of the very cold months of July and August, when few species of birds lay eggs. In equatorial regions there are no pronounced seasons, so feeding probably occurs throughout the year. The coloration of egg-eaters often matches the soil or vegetation on which they occur, thus providing camouflage from predators. Their patterns and colours also often match those of venomous adders found in their habitat. This is known as mimicry and enables egg-eaters to be avoided by potential predators like jackals, mongooses and baboons which confuse them with adders. Over much of its range the dorsal pattern and coloration of the Common Eggeater resembles that of the Rhombic Night Adder (Causus rhombeatus), but in Namibia and the Northern Cape, eggeaters apparently mimic the Horned Adder (Bitis caudalis). Egg-eaters have a characteristic threat display that belies their harmless nature. When confronted the snake will coil up and rub its sides together to produce a rasping sound similar to that of a hissing adder. This hissing sound is produced by the rubbing together of a few rows of serrated scales on the sides near the belly. The snake may then

Common Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra ) from near Groblershoop, Northern Cape.

(Photo: Marius Burger)

recognized as being different until large numbers of specimens are examined at museums, or until an analysis of DNA sequence data has been conducted. Then they may be shown to have slightly different colour patterns and differ with regard to the numbers of scales on certain parts of the head or body. The author is currently involved in collaborative research with other scientists on studies aimed at furthering our knowledge of the relationships and taxonomy of egg-eaters in the southern half of Africa.
References Bates, M.F. 1990. Where do egg-eaters find food in open grasslands? African Herp News 13: 21-23. Bates, M.F. & Broadley, D.G. 2008. Geographical variation in scalation and colour pattern in the egg-eating snakes of the genus Dasypeltis in Africa south of Latitude 12o S. Abstract of oral presentation: Ninth Symposium of the Herpetological Association of Africa, Sterkfontein Dam, Harrismith, November 2008. Phuthadijhaba: Herpetological Association of Africa. Branch, B. 1998. Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. 3rd edition. Cape Town: Struik. Broadley D.G. & Bates, M.F. 2009. New range extensions for Dasypeltis atra Sternfeld in Tanzania (Serpentes : Colubridae), with a review of the distribution of colour phases. African Journal of Herpetology 58(1): 50-55. De Waal, S.W.P. 1978. The Squamata (Reptilia) of the Orange Free State, South Africa. Memoires van die Nasionale Museum, Bloemfontein 11: +i-iii, 1-160. Spawls, S., Howell, K., Drewes, R. & Ashe, J. 2002. A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa. London: Academic Press. Trape, J.-F. & Mane, Y. 2006. Le genre Dasypeltis Wagler (Serpentes : Colubridae) en Afrique de l'Ouest : description de trois espces et d'une sous-espce nouvelles. Bulletin de la Socit herptologique de France 119: 27-56.

West African Egg-eater (Dasypeltis confusa ) from Lubango, SW Angola.

(Photo: Wulf Haacke)

strike out violently, exposing the dark interior of its mouth. This is a rather impressive and somewhat frightening display, but egg-eaters have only a few small rudimentary teeth in the middle of the mouth and these are not used for inflicting harm to attackers. These teeth are also not used in feeding. In fact, large teeth would get in the way when eggs are being swallowed. Species with very widespread distributions, like the Common Egg-eater, are often found to include one or more cryptic species. These are species that are very similar in appearance but which differ in small ways. They are often not

Common Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra) from Klein Spitzkoppe near Swakopmund, Namibia. Note the hourglass-shaped dorsal markings. (Photo: Wulf Haacke)

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