African Egg Eating Snake Information
Alternative Name : Boa Constrictor, Columbian Boa Constrictor, Common Boa Constrictor Scientific Name: Boa constrictor imperator
Common Food : In the wild, their diet includes prey such as rodents, birds, iguanas, and monkeys.
Origin : South America
Habitat : Living in hollow logs, and mammal burrows
The African Egg Eating Snake is a thin snake, and by maturity, the average individual will reach approximately 70 centimeters in length, though some may grow to over a meter in length. The basic coloration is gray to brown with darker square-like patches on the snake's dorsal surface that creates a zigzagging pattern. African Egg Eating Snakes have only rudimentary teeth in the mouth, greatly restricting their diet. There are 25 to 30 tooth-like structures at the back of the neck, which are really modified vertebrae. The Egg Eater is often confused with the Common Night adder in Southeastern Africa because of its rhombic markings. The similarity between these two snakes is a very effective defense mechanism as I have seen seasoned herpetologists who have mistaken the two and subsequently suffered the very painful bite of the night adder. Similarly, in the Southwestern region of Africa it is often confused with the Horned Adder. .
In captivity, African Egg Eating Snakes can usually be bred year round. However, in the wild, breeding occurs in the spring, and often, cooling snakes down to winter temperatures between 68 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit and lowering humidity can aid in encouraging breeding. Usually, African Egg Eating Snakes deposit between 6 and 25 eggs. They do not lay eggs in one location; rather, the clutch is usually scattered after a gestation period lasting between 80 and 90 days. Hatchling African Egg Eating Snakes can be fed finch eggs.African Egg Eating Snakes have impressed people for centuries. In fact, in many mythologies, a serpent is said to swallow the sun at night, during eclipses, or during the winter solstice, before spitting out the disc once more. It is thought that this tradition could be based on the egg eating habits of snakes. Native to southern areas of Africa, the African Egg Eating Snake usually lives in grassy savannahs or wooded areas.
The African Egg Eating Snake, though not widespread in captivity, is a truly fascinating reptile. It is unique in its eating habits, and can make a rare and impressive pet.
Normally nocturnal, African Egg Eating Snakes usually spend days hiding in a sheltered area. Often a rock or log can provide a sheltered hiding spot. In the wild, most eggs eaten by African Egg Eating Snakes are laid by Weaver Birds. These snakes are adept at tree climbing, which is often important when the snake accesses birds' nests. Before consuming an egg, the African Egg Eating Snake will first test the egg with its tongue to ensure that it is not rotten. The snake then holds the egg in its constricting coils as it pushes its head over the egg. Amazingly, the African Egg Eating Snake can swallow eggs that are up to three times the size of its head. After swallowing the egg, pleated folds of gumtissue expand and contract to suck the egg further inside the snake. A series of tooth-like structures located at the back of the neck pierce the egg as the African Egg Eating Snake bends its head sharply. After the contents of the egg have been evacuated through these piercings, the eggshell will be regurgitated, flattened and emptied though whole. The defense of the African Egg Eating Snake includes coiling and straightening motions in rapid succession, rasping or hissing noises, and occasionally striking out. However, because they lack teeth, bites from African Egg Eating Snakes are largely harmless. Many African Egg Eating Snakes are said to be relatively docile, and do not often make threatening or defensive displays. 
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