Watch the sighting here:
Field guide Frank de Beer sent this fascinating video to Latest Sightings.
All egg-cited
Frank recounts that he and his guests heard the angry, metallic calls of the lapwing pair while stopped for coffee. Suspecting a snake, he confirmed his suspicions upon finding the egg-eater fending off the agitated birds.
Snake–>
Undeterred by the protests, the snake strikes at the birds to warn them off.
Ground nesting birds
Ground-nesting birds, lapwings lay their eggs in shallow scrapes on open ground. The future of the brood is dependent on the cryptic camouflage of the eggshell along with the bold protection of the parent birds.
In this case, the measures are insufficient and the snake proceeds to select an egg to devour whole.
Isn’t that too big?
However, it is immediately obvious that the selected egg looks too big for the snake to eat. One can’t help but wonder if it is biting off more than it can chew.
However, as their name suggests, egg-eaters specialise in this behaviour.
To eat eggs much larger than their heads, the upper and lower jaws are separate. Also, the skin between the jaws is extremely elastic, allowing them to “stretch” the mouth around the egg.
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Then, small modified teeth along with a flexible skull and muscle action enable the snake to swallow the egg whole.
However, it is a slow process during which the snake itself becomes vulnerable to predators.
Leaving the scene
Realising this, the snake decides to move off in search of shelter. Said De Beer, “Then, with an egg in its mouth, the snake began slithering away in one of the most comical and bizarre manners I have ever seen.”
Then, satisfied that it was out of danger it began the laborious business of entirely consuming the egg.
Phase 2 of swallowing an egg
After enveloping the egg, it is not simply swallowed. Instead, egg-eaters possess several modified vertebrae with spiny protrusions.
As the egg moves down the throat, these spines puncture the egg. The yolk and albumen (egg white) are released and swallowed.
In the image below, the previously swollen egg-shape appears noticeably deflated.
Ultimately, by contraction, the snake returns to its normal proportions. The shell is compacted before being regurgitated.
Job done, the snake disappeared from view, leaving Frank and his guests to marvel at the rare encounter just witnessed.
More about egg-eaters
These snakes are non-venomous, entirely lacking fangs. Accordingly, they present no threat to humans.
They inhabit sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Middle East, thriving in various habitats except forests and deserts.
They rely on mimicry to evade predators, with their scale markings resembling those of the venomous night adder and saw-scaled viper.
Unable to hiss in warning, they instead emit a similar sound by rubbing their coarse scales together. They also strike readily.