Southern Brown Egg Eater – Dasypeltis inornata

Size:
Averaging 60-70 cm they may reach around 1.1m

Colour:
Typically varying shades of uniform straw yellow, orange, brown and brick red.

Habitat:
Favouring grasslands, costal bush, savannah and montane grasslands associated with rocky outcrops.

Field Notes:
One of the three species of specialist egg-eating snakes found in South Africa. The Southern Brown Egg Eater is far less widely distributed than the Rhombic Egg Eater, occurring in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, parts of the Eastern Free State, Kwa-Zulu Natal and into the Eastern Cape. They can be found in montane grasslands, coastal forests and often in suburban gardens. A uniform brown, peachy and sometimes pale yellow these snakes have heavily keeled scales which can make them easily differentiated against the Brown House Snake or Common Brown Water Snake. A large adult is able devour normal sized chicken eggs. The egg is swallowed whole in the practically toothless mouth and the contents ingested whilst the shell is regurgitated.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Cato Ridge, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Scottburgh, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater feeding on an egg. From west of Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater feeding on an egg. From west of Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From St. Lucia, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From St. Lucia, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater feeding on an egg. From Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater feeding on an egg. From Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Cato Ridge, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Cato Ridge, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From St. Lucia, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From St. Lucia, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. Vryheid, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. Vryheid, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Valley Of 1000 Hills, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Valley Of 1000 Hills, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From St. Lucia, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From St. Lucia, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Monzi, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Cato Ridge, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Camperdown Rural, KwaZulu-Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Kingsburgh, KwaZulu-Natal.

Dasypeltis inornata

Southern Brown Egg Eater. From Kingsburgh, KwaZulu-Natal.