The first thing that comes to mind when preparing breakfast is eggs, as they are easy to prepare and they are nutritious. Generally, the most consumed eggs are from chickens, though it has been recorded that snake eggs supply the same nutrients as a chicken egg will supply.
Besides, snakes and their eggs are delicacies in some parts of the world and are medicinal. Are snake eggs edible? Are they safe to consume for humans?
Let’s find out.
Can you Eat Snake Eggs?
Yes, you can. It’s not just what you will think about when you want to eat an egg with your bread for breakfast, give it to your growing child, or use it in the preparation of snacks that need eggs.
However, snake eggs are high in protein and vitamins just like any other edible pet egg, such as chicken eggs, but must be cooked properly. If a snake egg is partially cooked, it might lead to gastrointestinal distress.
Besides, the taste of snake eggs may not appeal to everyone. Its taste and flavor are different as compared to the chicken eggs that we normally eat. Some people might not be accustomed to the taste because it has a fishy flavor.
Are Snake Eggs Poisonous?
No. Over the years, snake eggs have proved to be harmless to human beings as there is very little risk of getting poisoned from eating snakes egg. However, many develop allergies from feeding on snake eggs as it has different implications for humans depending on their health and immunity.
Embryonic development in snake eggs starts very fast. So, if the eggs are not fresh, they may have pieces of flesh like pulp inside them, and this could be dangerous if eaten raw. So, if you want to consider feeding on a snake’s egg, feed on a fresh one that is properly boiled.
What Do Snake Eggs Feel Like?
It has a leathery texture and a rubbery feel. Snake eggs are softer and fragile when compared to chicken and bird eggs, as they are not hard-shelled and may break in your hand if you hold them too firmly.
Why is Snake Egg Soft?
They are soft because they do not need incubation, unlike chicken eggs that need to be hatched though few species like python gets their eggs incubated. It also allows moisture to pass through them.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Identify A Snake Egg?
Snake eggs look like a bird’s egg as they are of oval shape but there are ways in which you can identify snakes’ eggs if you look critically as the little ones are always mistaken for birds’ eggs. However, there are a few ways listed below to identify a snake’s egg.
– Colour
The majority of the time, snake eggs are white, off-white, or cream without designs on them. However, when it comes in contact with plant debris, this might stain its parts and give it a mottled appearance.
Some snake eggs are blue, green, dark yellow, or brown in color and this is a result of a dead embryo in them and they need to be disposed of. A snake egg that is unhealthy will be gray, yellow-white, or even greenish in color.
– Location
A snake does not just lay its egg in any random place, they rather lay it in loose soil warm soft dirt, manure piles, rotting vegetation, composting piles, and naturally created shelters like fallen trees, rotten logs, and underleaf piles which in turn acts as a protection against egg-eating animals and weather elements such as sun and rain.
Snakes do not lay their eggs in high places such as trees or on rock as they are always conscious of their eggs rolling away or being eaten.
– Size
Few birds or reptiles lay eggs that are around 1 inch or lower but a snake’s egg size ranges from 1 inch to 5 inches long. A big snake will lay a big egg that is around 4 to 5 inches while an average-sized snake will lay an egg around 1 to 3 inches.
– Texture
In contrast to bird eggs, which have thin but strong shells, snake eggs are exceedingly leathery and squishy. A semi-permeable membrane on snake eggs allows water to pass through the shell. The egg will initially gently inflate and then gradually get bigger as the baby snake grows inside the shell by absorbing water.
– Shape
In contrast to bird eggs, which are typically circular with a narrow tip at one end, snake eggs are oblong. They have rounded ends on both sides and are uniformly wide throughout.
What Does a Snake Egg Look Like Inside?
The embryo and a goopy material that resembles custard are both presents inside a snake egg. The yolk is the part that is yellow. It lacks a visible egg yolk or white, unlike a chicken egg.
What is the Size of a Snake Egg?
The size of the snake that lays the egg determines the size of the egg. For smaller snakes, this would be about 25 to 30 mm (about an inch), whereas, for larger snakes, the eggs can grow to be as large as 55 to 75 mm (2 to 3 inches).
Eggs from ball pythons range in size from 71mm to 96mm (3-5inches), the length of brown snake eggs is roughly five millimeters (2inches), snake eggs range from 25 to 30 mm (1-1 1/4 inch), eggs from garter snakes range in size from 58mm to 76mm (2.5-3inches).
Black snake eggs are enormous, measuring between one and three-quarters and two inches (2.5-5cm) and eggs from rat snakes are around one inch long (2.5cm).
Do Snakes Sit on Their Eggs?
Some snakes, encircle their eggs and remain with them until they hatch but the majority of snakes don’t take care of the young. Sitting directly on top of snake eggs could be harmful to the eggs because they are softer than other eggs.
What Are The Counties Where They Eat Snake Eggs?
While eating snake eggs is absurd in some places, there are some countries that derive satisfaction in consuming snake eggs that they even added it as part of their diet. A few of these countries are listed below.
- Japan
- China
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Indonesia
Conclusion
Eating snakes and snake eggs depend solely upon the individual and nothing else.
It is true that snake eggs are nutritious though it is not recommended by the world health organization as some snakes are on the endangered list and you can rarely identify the type of snake from the egg. Sticking to the most accepted egg such as chickens egg is safer
