Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've heard of numerous people feeding chicken eggs to their pits, especially pines. However, is it fine to feed these to bulls and gophers as well? and at what size is it acceptable to do to so?

For my sd gophers I give them a variety of food including newborn chicks. They are about 4ft in lenght. Do you think that they would take chicken eggs since they already eat hatchlings? And are these general super market eggs or are they fertile eggs?

Generally store eggs are so washed that snakes will not recognize them as food. Also, domestic chicken eggs are quite thick shelled. I have fed a variety of Pituophis a variety of eggs and found that pigeon, dove, guineafowl, quial, and duck eggs are most often accepted. Individual captive hatched snakes have preferrences, some know exactly what to do while I have watched others roll the eggs around for hours interested but unable to figure out exactly how to proceed.

Word of caution...athough it seems logical to offer a variety of foods it can backfire leaving you with a snake that refuses anything but chicks...eggs, etc. Well fed, healthy rodents are quite nutritional and it is believed that rodents make up most of the diet of even the most oportunistic wild Pituophis. In other words don't make extra trouble and work for yourself.

Many of you can probably recall a time not that many years ago when even rodents where hard to find. I would wild collect thirteen lined ground squirrels, mice and voles and seek out universities doing genetic work with rodent colonies. I could not afford pet store "pet rat" prices and there where no big breeders a mouse click away. Ah, the good old days.......

thanks john. Good informative post.

I also love the pit you posted. How do I get my hands on one of those linees.