Dasypeltis is the genus containing specialized African egg-eating snakes that swallow bird eggs whole.
These snakes have an unusual feeding adaptation: they lack functional teeth suited to biting prey, and their slender bodies and flexible jaws allow them to take eggs larger than their heads appear able to accommodate. After swallowing an egg, projections from the vertebrae inside the neck break the shell. The snake then regurgitates the empty shell and digests the contents.
Dasypeltis species are generally associated with birds’ nests and woodland or savanna habitats across much of sub-Saharan Africa. Their diets make them highly specialized compared with most snakes, which commonly eat rodents, lizards, amphibians or other animals.
They are sometimes confused with venomous African snakes because of superficial pattern similarities. Egg-eating snakes, however, are notable for their harmless feeding specialization rather than venom delivery.