East African Egg Eater

About the East African Egg Eater

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: East African Egg Eater

Is the East African Egg Eater venomous?

No. The East African Egg Eater (Dasypeltis medici) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.

Is the East African Egg Eater poisonous?

Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The East African Egg Eater is neither poisonous nor venomous.

Is the East African Egg Eater dangerous?

The East African Egg Eater is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.

What does the East African Egg Eater eat?

Dasypeltis medici, like all species in the genus Dasypeltis, feeds exclusively on birds' eggs. It can swallow an egg three times the size of its head. The egg is slit open by vertebral hypapophyses which extend into the esophagus. The collapsed empty shell is regurgitated.

Why is it called the East African Egg Eater?

The specific name, medici, is in honor of Italian physiologist Michele Medici.

More Colubridae snakes

• 
  Egg-eating Snake
  Dasypeltis scabra
• 
  Southern Brown Egg Eater
  Dasypeltis inornata
• 
  Sahel Egg Eater
  Dasypeltis sahelensis
• 
  Montane Egg-eater
  Dasypeltis atra
• 
  Central African Egg-eating Snake
  Dasypeltis fasciata
• 
  Confusing Egg Eater
  Dasypeltis confusa
• 
  Gans’ Egg Eater
  Dasypeltis gansi
• 
  Dasypeltis parascabra
  Dasypeltis parascabra

Classification

How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.

OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards

Squamata

FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits

Colubridae

GenusA close-knit group of very similar species

Dasypeltis

SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name

Dasypeltis medici

Keep learning

• What to Do If You Find a SnakeFound a snake at home or on a trail? Here is how to stay calm, give it space, identify it safely, and know when to call a professional.
• Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.
• What Is a Snake? Anatomy and the BasicsA clear overview of what makes a snake a snake: limbless body plan, anatomy, evolution from lizards, species diversity, and why they are ectothermic.
• How to Keep Snakes Out of Your Yard and HomeA practical guide to keeping snakes out of your yard and home using habitat changes that work, plus what to skip and what to do if one shows up.