Feeding eggs to pythons

[Nicole]

I can't remember where I read this, I think an o/s site...
It was a suggestion of what to feed your snake if you were stuck for food, suggestions were thawed chicken pieces, or hard boiled eggs with shell removed.

I wouldn't try either, and I'm not confident that the above is even true, let alone 'good' advice, but I thought I'd chuck it into the discussion. Has anyone ever read/heard of/done this before?

 

[africancichlidau]

Hard Boiled Eggs?? sounds a bit sus to me Now maybe a nice bacon sandwich.......

 

[marc]

I read an artical saying that snakes will accidently eat something if it has the smell of the a foot item, I can back this up I had a tiger snake that was trying to eat its own water bowl and rock because it had the smell of a rat on it, so maybe its the same, snake eat eggs by mistake, unless of course your an egg eating snake...lol

 

[Parko]

I thought it was well known that some snakes eat eggs(must be, I know it) I dont think it's by mistake at all.

 

[Greebo]

Snakeman (remember him) used to feed chicken legs to his RBB and water pythons all the time.I didn't bring it up b4 as we were talking about eggs.

 

[Fuscus]

Don't leave the site Marc, I for one value your contribution.
And you may have hit on a point, an egg that has been sat on by a duck for the last 10 days would smell of duck, or at least a part of the duck.

 

[Greebo]

maybe I should just pi$$ off from the site, it doesnt matter what I say some one want to make me look like a dumb ****...thanks guys

Calm down Marc, no ones questioning your knowledge of herps.
Lifes to short.

 

[Parko]

Say what? Did I do that?

 

[wattso]

Feeding: Being a large serpent, the Ratsnake is capable of eating quite large prey, up to the size of large fox squirrels. In many areas, this species is known for raiding chicken coops for eggs; hence the vernacular name of "Chicken Snake".

from~ http://www.geocities.com/elton4562/104/reptile.htm


We have been observing at regular intervals a great enemy of small birds, a carpet python, and he has been caught in the act of stealing willy wagtail eggs from their round horse-hair and cobweb nest

from~http://www.laca.org.au/backart/birdbarn.htm

 

[hey_im_sam]

As to someone saying that eggs would have little nutritional value, iwould have thought they would? The yolk is choc full of goodness isnt it.... its what keeps them 'alive' before they hatch out. feel free to tell me im a dumb ****

 

[Parko]

actually I think the white is the good bit, for protein anyway, but I wont call you a dumbass as apparently just me posting my thoughts is enough to make people feel that way.

 

[hey_im_sam]

fair enough, maybe its all good and everyone can be happy I know that once one of my baby frillies crawled out a little early and had the yolk still hanging off his belly, which he absorbed (mostly) over the next hour or two

 

[Greebo]

349 kj in a raw egg.
I asked Jeeves.

 

[hey_im_sam]

that guy's a genius

 

[Parko]

Most bodybuilders use only the egg white as a protein source, though cant see a snake getting into bodybuilding, funny thought though.

 

[wattso]

captive snakes fed eggs~

Feeding:

In nature do Cape cobras feed on a wide variety of prey items like, amphibians, lizards, snakes (including there own species) and small mammals. In captivity are Cape cobras also easy snakes to feed. I try to feed my cobras also a wide variety of food items. I feed rodents like mice and rats, chicks and chicken eggs. Mice and rats are fed alive, the snakes move slowly towards there prey and bite it ones with lightning speed, what kills them quickly. After the prey died do they sniff it for quit a while before they start eating. I prefer to feed my Cape cobras small preys because of there feeding habit. It just looks like it that they don?t be bothered where they start eating if this is the head, back or mid body. I also feed chicks and I feed them out of a feeding tweezer. Eggs are fed on room temperature. Baby Cape cobras are fed with baby mice.



from~ http://www.kingsnake.com/elapids/cape_cobra.htm

 

[hey_im_sam]

Large egg:
Yolk - 59 cals, 248 kJ, 2.7g Protein
White - 17 cals, 70 kJ, 3.5g Protein

looks like the bodybuilders use it for low cal high protein?

p.s. - sorry ifthis just took it that one step too far

 

[Parko]

Lol, nah I always go at least one step to far, and high protein low cal is exactly why bodybuilders drink raw egg white but not the yolk. Thanx for info.

 

[marc]

don't worry about me I am not going away......lets call it a truce (not sure how to spell that) "but lets be friends

 

[NCHERPS]

I'd imagine the snakes digestive system to be easilly strong enough to break down egg shell, they can break down mammals bones after all.

It's an interesting one, after all lizards, Monitors in particular like raiding nest sites and eating the egg's, and some snakes have been known to do the same, but it's interesting that the African egg eating snake takes down the egg and with bony bits in there throats break the egg shell's and then swallow the contents and regurgitate the shell, they don't eat it all!
Why don't they eat it all?, as the shell is probably a good source of calcium, especially for younger growing snakes.

Personally I wouldn't bother feeding egg's to Pythons as I wouldn't think that there would be enough goodness in them to sustain the snake for long. Day old chicks also have very little nutritional value to snakes.

Marc, glad to hear your staying, everyone gets a little frustrated on here now and again.

Neil