Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering what type of snake the Dasypeltis scabra AKA african egg eating snake is.... I.E. rat snake, etc. I was concidering getting one but was trying to get ahold of someone who owned one for more information....
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches" (Didn't name her!)

None of the above. They are in a group unto themselves. Dasypeltis is designed to feed on eggs unlike any other snake is. There are projections coming down into the throat from the underside of the spine that slice the eggshell as it is being swallowed.

Unless you have an unlimited supply of appropriate size eggs, I would not recommend them.

~~Greg~~

I could order quail eggs by the hundreds for relatively cheap.... But am not sure that if they are kept frozen they will be good.....
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches" (Didn't name her!)

As Greg pointed out they are hard to keep.

A lot of people think "cool, I can just feed it eggs". However Dasypeltis are far too slender to eat a chicken egg and they won't eat refrigerated eggs (they don't smell right apparently). So you have to find a source of small, fresh quail sized eggs. If you happen to breed quail or have a quail farm nearby, you might be able to keep one alive for a while, but they are not an easy snake to keep.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, TX

I don't think eggs freeze without breaking the shell. You really need a ready supply of small fresh eggs. I kept a couple for quite a while by feeding them pigeon eggs. I raided pigeon nests under local bridges. I'd tell you what pigeons build their nests out of, but this is a family site.

~~Greg~~

Well around here I don't think ANY birds lay from mid fall untill early spring...so that is around 5 months without food....any suggestions?
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches" (Didn't name her!)

Sure. Stick with a variety of snake that feeds on rodents or anything else you have ready, year-round access to.

~~Greg~~

From what I have read on an egg eater yahoo group I'm on, you can have two problems with feeding egg eaters: finding appropriately sized eggs, and finding fresh or correctly scented eggs. Hatchlings can't eat anything bigger than finch eggs, so you might have to start keeping finches or make friends with someone who does if you get a hatchling. Larger egg eaters might be able to consume quail eggs, which you can often get at Chinese markets, assuming you live near a large enough Chinese community, or they might eat small or medium chicken eggs you can get at supermarkets. As for fresh or scenting, it seems that some egg eaters can be really picky and will only take eggs straight from the nest, others will take refrigerated eggs that you can scent with a birds nest or with bird droppings, and some will take refrigerated eggs no problem. The difficult part is knowing whether your egg eater will be the one who takes store-bought eggs or will be very picky ahead of time, so you should line up suppliers of fresh eggs just in case before you get the snake.

Good luck,
Billy
Phillyherping

If I remember correctly, they are seasonal feeders in the wild, anyway. That said, any rural area has people breeding quail or other small sized birds. Check the local papers or phone books.