Rat Snake eating Wood Duck egg: 14 photos

[Wingman]

I put the two snakes I pulled out of a wood duck box into a larger cage yesterday. I had saved some spoiled duck eggs from an abandoned box and decided to put a couple in the cage yesterday afternoon. This morning they were gone and there was regurgitated egg shell in a corner of the cage. I put another couple of eggs in there and one of the snakes immediately began to mouth it as I stood there and watched! I was able to snap this series of photos.

Notice the rows of backward-facing teeth in his upper jaw. I got my thumb caught in there the other day and it was like trying to pull it out of a serrated vice.

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The egg is at least 2x the size of his head, maybe 3 or 4.

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[Wingman]

Lots of expansion between the scales.

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[Wingman]

They are able to breath by the small "tube" that extends to the front part of the bottom jaw (small ridge under his lip.

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[Wingman]

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Right about at this frame, I heard the weirdest noise. I thought I was stepping on something or else I had dropped something. Then I realized it was the snake crushing the egg against its ribcage. The bulge slowly disappeared.

rat snake 12 finish.jpg

[Wingman]

rat snake 13 finish.jpg

I had another egg in the cage, but it had turned black on the inside and he wasn't very interested in it. I inserted 2 more eggs that looked a bit more fresh, and he gave 'em a forked lick.

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So, fellas, if you don't have snake guards on your duck, bluebird, warbler or martin housing, it's only a matter of time before you are wiped out by these egg-loving reptiles. The three snakes that were in the one wood duck box I found last week wiped out an entire clutch (probably a dozen eggs) in a matter of minutes.

[jsherwin]

That right there is awesome. I hate them suckers eating a dang egg but to see it in action would be pretty cool.

[Wingman]

I've got some starling and house sparrow nests I need to turn them loose on.

[MSDawg870]

They are able to breath by the small "tube" that extends to the front part of the bottom jaw (small ridge under his lip.

Sir, I believe you are refering to what is known in the herpetology world as the "glottis".

Its a good thing we have rat snakes or the Wood Ducks would become overpopulated.

[Wingman]

Thanks for the info. I was really just making all that up. I actually thought they took a big breath and tried to gulp it down before their lips turned blue.

Its a good thing we have rat snakes or the Wood Ducks would become overpopulated.

Yeah, rat snakes and late shooters.

[chopper30]

Great pictures Rob!

[Wingman]

Thanks, Wayne.

A final photo: a closeup of de mouf.

mouthful small finish.jpg

[Tedl10]

How long did it take for him to swallow it all?

[Wingman]

Image #1 on this thread was 10:39 AM. Image #10 was 10:43 AM. Image #12 was 10:52 AM.

[Blackduck]

beautiful snake. I used to have a ball python and watching that thing strike and eat mice was something impressive.

rat snake = chicken snake

OR

Corn snake = chicken snake?

[tombstone]

I got the freakin hibbi gibbies from that. Man I bet your folks just never know what they gonna come home to Really cool though. Since I have a phobia of snakes people would have never gotten to see that if I would have found them in the box