One of the 26 snakes on WAnimals
Reptiles · Squamata · Colubridae
Rhombic Egg Eater
Dasypeltis scabra
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The common or rhombic egg-eating snake is a species of snake of the family Colubridae; it belongs to a group of snakes that owe their name to their natural diet, since they feed exclusively on birds' eggs. The normal colouring of common egg-eating snakes is greyish to brown with darker rhombic markings (squares) or spots or chevrons below the rear part. A brown variation, apparently called the common egg eater, is found most commonly in the southern parts of the Free State Province of South Africa. These snakes are somewhat smaller than the common egg eaters.
Weight
72 g on average
Size
60 cm – 1 m
Lifespan
10 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- It has no functional teeth: it swallows the egg whole, and bony projections from the neck vertebrae pierce the shell from inside, squeeze out the contents and then it brings up the shell folded and empty.
- It can swallow eggs more than three times the width of its head thanks to extraordinarily elastic neck skin and a jaw with no rigid joint.
- It mimics venomous vipers: when threatened it rubs its flank scales together, producing a harsh hiss identical to that of the puff adders, despite being completely harmless.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Savannah, scrub, open woodland and farmland of sub-Saharan Africa
- Sexual maturity
- 2 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 70 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 12 eggs
Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasypeltis_scabra
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 69 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Rhombic Egg Eater — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Boomslang
Dispholidus typus
Helmeted Turtle
Pelomedusa subrufa
Ball Python
Python regius
Puff Adder
Bitis arietans
Black-necked Spitting Cobra
Naja nigricollis
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