Eat insects?

[juggalette]

I was just curious has anyone ever had juvenile pythons eat insects (like crickets)??

I have read some small species of snakes will eat insects but they are from American pages, just wanting to know what the go is here in Oz!

Any input would be helpful.

Ta

 

[Jonno from ERD]

Basically, no, most Aussie snakes won't eat invertebrates. Some are invert-specialists, such as Blind Snakes, and some others feed specifically on crustaceans, but the commonly kept species are vertebrate feeders.

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

I read somewhere, cant find the article at the moment, that juvenile wild green tree python was observed eating moths.
Might just be a moth myth but..Its not unbelievable.
From memory it (the snake) was attracted to the initial movement and once the moth was seized the snake continued to consume it.

 

[Sdaji]

Yeah, there are rare reports of them eating insects, but it's the exception rather than the rule. In most cases it's a bit of an anomoly. The Chondro thing just might be a little less exceptional. We have a few species of elapids which will eat insects, and a small number of insect specialists, but there are relatively small, obscure species which aren't established in the pet trade.

 

[-Peter]

I had a juv lowlands copperhead take a roach once. Tried to get it to do it again but never did.

 

[Sdaji]

A wild Lowlands Copperhead in Victoria was reliably recorded catching and eating several moths.

I had some juvenile Death Adders which would eat just about anything which was put in front of them (including eggs). I thought they'd probably eat sticks if I offered them, and I wouldn't be surprised if they would have, but when I offered insects they refused.

 

[cris]

I know of a case of a treesnake eating a insect(recorded by Rob Porter) but it was suspected to be an "accident" related to catching normal food like a frog.

Has anyone trialed moths on their gtps?

 

[JasonL]

Under the right circumstances snakes will have a go at things they don't usually eat, some species more than others. There are many varieties of snakes across the world that are specialist insect and snail eaters, some eat a variety of things including insects, the vast majority of these snakes are colubrids, a family of snakes very poorly represented (variety wise) in Australia.