''Dasypeltis fasciata'', commonly known as the Central African egg-eating snake or the western forest eggeater, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of snake in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...

. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. It is one of 13 species in the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Dasypeltis ''Dasypeltis'' is a genus of colubrid snakes. It is one of only two taxonomic groups of snakes known to have adapted to feed exclusively on eggs (the other being the genus '' Elachistodon''). ''Dasypeltis'' are non-venomous and found throughout ...

'', and is occasionally kept in captivity as an

exotic pet An exotic pet is a pet which is relatively rare or unusual to keep, or is generally thought of as a wild species rather than as a domesticated pet. The definition varies by culture, location, and over time—as animals become firmly enough esta ...

along with other members of its genus, particularly '' D. scabra'' and '' D. medici''.

Geographic range

''D. fasciata'' is found in western and central Africa including the Central African Republic, Gambia, Nigeria, and Uganda.

Habitat

The preferred

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

of ''D. fasciata'' is lowland forest at altitudes of approximately .

Reproduction

''D. fasciata'' is oviparous.

Anatomy and behaviour

Owing to their nature as obligate ovivores, all members of the genus ''Dasypeltis'' are arboreal, preferring to remain in the trees where they can locate bird-nests, and tend to be nocturnal as this is when the diurnal bird species they prey upon are asleep and most likely to leave their eggs unguarded. Their diet also affects their biology, and has resulted in an evolutionary adaptation that has removed their teeth and substantially increased the capacity of their necks. This facilitates the consumption of whole eggs. Once inside the neck, three bony projections from the cervical vertebrae are extended and the egg is crushed against them, puncturing and cracking it. The eggs are then squeezed to extract the liquids inside, and the shell is regurgitated. This adaptation allows them to exploit a food source that is almost completely uncontested in their natural habitat. During feeding, they have an extensible, highly flattened trachea that can push around the egg and allow them to continue breathing whilst swallowing an egg several times wider than their own body.

In captivity

In captivity, it is recommended that ''D. fasciata'' be provided with extensive climbing materials in order to provide environmental enrichment. As is typical in snakes, males tend to be smaller than females. Baby egg-eating snakes and adult males are generally able to eat finch eggs, although some males can grow large enough to eat button quail eggs. Female adults are often large enough to eat full size quail eggs or even chicken eggs. However, in the wild they will only eat eggs that are at a very early stage of development, and cannot digest a foetal bird chick.

Defence

African egg-eating snakes lack teeth, and as such they often have difficulty with defending themselves. This is necessary for their diet, as teeth would reduce the capacity of their necks; however, it presents issues with predation. It is believed that their primary defence stems from

Batesian mimicry Batesian mimicry is a form of mimicry where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a predator of them both. It is named after the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates, after his work on bu ...

, as most species in the genus ''Dasypeltis'' strongly resemble other, venomous snake species such as

black mamba The black mamba (''Dendroaspis polylepis'') is a species of highly venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. It is native to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. First formally described by Albert Günther in 1864, it is the second-longest ...

s or vipers, providing them with a deterrent against predators. However, this lack of teeth also makes it almost impossible for the snake to harm other specimens in captivity, making it one of the few species of snakes that can be housed communally.

Geographic range

Habitat

Reproduction

Anatomy and behaviour

In captivity

Defence

See also

References

Further reading