Egg eating snake tips

Glad that you’re doing well enough. I hope and pray that your wife hits that “magic number” very soon.

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Feel free to criticize, Cthulhu knows I do LOL

She is up higher on the ladder - has top priority for a high/perfect match kidney when the time comes - but TPTB feel it is best for all involved to have all kidney failure patients eek out every bit of use out of their old kidneys before putting in the new one

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Hmmmmm. Well in a way the wearing out process may make sense in the medical field but if I were the one waiting for a kidney, especially since my husband had already given his kidney away (non refundable btw) I would be p****d thank you very much! :triumph:

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Thank you!!!

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I wish luck to you and your wife!

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Ta! Much appreciated

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I would definitely be cautious about taking in a wild-caught import, just because they’re so much more prone to issues than captive-bred individuals. You just never know what health issues you might be taking on. And on top of that, if the animal is an adult (which is what you’re looking to get), you’ll have no real way to know how old they are and how much longer they’ll live, even if you get lucky and end up with a healthy animal.

If I were you, I’d probably wait until a captive bred female became available, even if that means having to wait. And I understand that waiting sucks when you’re really wanting an animal, but I think that waiting for the right CBB animal might ultimately leave you with a better outcome in the long run. As someone else mentioned, it might also be worth looking into importing a CBB female from somewhere like Canada or Europe. It will cost more than buying a WC individual domestically, but you’ll be more likely to end up with a healthy animal with a known history.

Just curious…what is it that draws you to egg eating snakes? Don’t get me wrong, they’re super cool snakes and there’s a lot to love about them, but it seems like a big draw for them to most people is just the fact that they don’t eat rodents. If that’s the main reason you want one, there are several other snake species that don’t eat rodents, and some of them are much easier to find and care for than egg eaters. If you truly love the Dasypeltis genus and have your heart set on one of those snakes because that’s what you love, then by all means, continue to pursue it. I don’t want to talk anyone out of their pursuit of keeping species they really love.

But if it’s just a function of wanting a snake and not wanting to feed rodents, there are some other options. Garter snakes would probably be the most obvious and readily-available option (and there are several different species of garters, and some species even have some morphs, so there’s lots of choices when it comes to garters). DeKay’s brown snakes are another possibility. Not quite as easy to find CBB as garters, but there are some people who breed them. And both garters and DeKay’s are going to be easier to care for and have diets that are much easier to source than egg eaters. Rough and smooth green snakes primarily eat insects…though as I understand it, you’re likely to struggle to find them CBB, much like egg eaters.

Whatever route you decide to go, I wish you luck. Hopefully you’ll eventually find the perfect snake for you, whatever that ends up being.

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Thank you for your advice!
I am currently waiting on a breeder who has some adult females available in the next several months. If I’m lucky I will be able to get her before someone else does.

As for why I want this species specifically, there are several reasons. Just one of them is, yes, that it does not eat rodents. I also deeply appreciate the fact they don’t have teeth. But it’s not just that, as I could get a more docile snake or one that doesn’t eat rodents. I also just find the species super interesting. The way they have evolved to eat eggs unlike many other animals is fascinating. I’m hoping to do be a sort of Wildlife Biologist and discover more about lesser-known animals. I would love to learn more about these snakes. I’ve liked snakes before but after learning about this species all snakes seem 10x better, but it’s really just this species in particular I am interested in.

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That is false. They do have teeth, just not many and they are small

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That is true, but they are much smaller than other snakes, most of which have fangs. So biting would not be an issue, which is a reason I get tense around snakes. That and constrictors.

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Very few snakes have fangs. Fangs refers to venomous snakes injecting tooth thingys (yes, we are all very scientifically accurate over here) not just a normal snake tooth. Any snake commonly available as pets don’t have fangs.

And what is the issue with constrictors? Elmo here is a constrictor but he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Mice on the other hand…


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I didn’t know most snakes don’t have fangs, but still, biting just worries me sometimes. I love all snakes and would never hurt them, but I just get tense when a constrictor squeezes. (especially an adult, younger ones feel like a hug sometimes) But Elmo looks absolutely adorable.

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There are actually quite a few snakes out there that are not going to squeeze you while handling, even if they do constrict their prey. I have a sand boa and a blood python (both constrictors), and neither of them are at all “squeezey” to handle. Neither is built for climbing, so they just sort of crawl around and don’t wrap their body around you. Heck, even my boa constrictor doesn’t really squeeze me that much, although she will wrap around me and sort of hold on (and some boas are quite squeezey, so it’s not a species I’d recommend if you’re worried about that). Garters, DeKay’s, and hognoses are not even constrictors, so they’re not squeezey at all.

The teeth on most non-venomous snakes are really nothing to worry about. Bites tend to be more startling than painful. Honestly, I’ve had paper cuts that were deeper and MUCH more painful than the wounds I’ve sustained from snake teeth. Granted, I’ve never been bitten by something like an emerald tree boa (freakishly long teeth) or a very large constrictor (big snake = big teeth), but I’m guessing you’re not considering getting one of those.

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Yeah, I know it’s not much of a big deal, but I still am most interested in egg eaters for other reasons. I just find them super interesting and would like to get to know one and learn more about them.

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That’s totally fair. I just wanted you to know that there might be some other options out there for you that are potentially easier to find CBB, but if egg eaters are what you love and want, then I wish you luck finding the perfect adult female. Sometimes you just have to be patient for the right snake to come along.

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Yup, thank you!

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Hello! I apologize for bothering you (again), but we just found a captive bred egg eater! The seller told us he bought it from someone else as an adult who claimed it to be captive bred but he has had it for over a year now and it seems to be doing well regardless. He said that they thought it was a female but they now believe it is an adult male. Either way, it is currently feeding on button quails (we found a reliable source and the seller is willing to supply them for us), and are currently in the buying process. The seller appears to be reliable and has a 100% live arrival guarantee as well as a 1-month health guarantee as long as we can prove we are taking care of it (which includes sending pictures of the enclosure and conditions before the snakes arrival, and pictures of the snake/conditions a day, week, and month after arrival). They have good reviews and have told us the snakes feeding history.
The seller says that the snake definitely ate last week and has been eating a few eggs every 2 weeks. He says he just puts a few in and lets the snakes eat (he has 3, but only 1 for sale). He said the snake did fast a few months ago for some time, but he is growing. So, I was wondering, how would you recommend feeding it? Should I just put in a few eggs every 2 weeks and toss the left overs, and let it eat as it wants and wait for it to fast? Or is there some better way I should do this? I will definitely watch its weight to make sure it is not losing anything or gaining too quickly, but wanted to know what you thought.
Also, thank you for your help already! It’s been greatly beneficial and I really appreciate it.

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I know you weren’t asking me but i have already gone over this and so has @t_h_wyman.

They need fed on a cycle. A couple months feeding, the rest of the year not. Put in a few eggs every week to two weeks for a 2-4 month period. There isn’t a magical egg supply in the wild that never stops and the snake just chooses to be full after months of over feeding.

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Here’s lil Bumblebee!!



The seller said he’s no more than 2 years old and is most likely a male. What do you think? Male or Female? He’s currently eating Button Quail eggs. I’ll try to get better pictures, but he’s shy and is hiding.

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He hasn’t eaten yet but probably just needs time. I weighed him yesterday and he looks healthy! He’s a good 46.4 grams! He’s a very curious snake, but still shy.






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