Yes, snake eggs are soft. The shells of the eggs are not as hard as that of a chicken’s egg. A vast majority of eggs are like this.
They are soft because snakes do not incubate their eggs. Some species, like the python, may incubate their eggs. Because there is no need for brooding, the eggs did not have to evolve to become hard.
Are Snake Eggs Supposed to be Soft?
Yes, they are supposed to be soft. Snake eggs are that way because they do not need incubation. Therefore, snake eggs do not harden as they come out of the mother.
A bird’s egg, however, is soft as it comes out. But then, exposure to the environment makes it hard. All female vertebrates produce eggs. Reptiles were the first creatures to evolve to lay protective eggs.
Eggshells are like independent support systems. They keep the eggs moist once it has no contact with water. The difference between bird eggs and snake eggs is that reptile eggs use protein as food for the embryo.
Evolution made the bird egg amniotic. The shell has a membrane that allows for carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange for the embryo to survive. Although snakes do not incubate their eggs and use protein as a source of energy, there was no evolutionary requirement to make their egg hard.
What do Snake Eggs Feel Like?
Snake eggs have a leathery texture. In many cases, snake eggs can be mistaken for a bird’s egg, especially for people less educated about snakes. The egg of a snake can also have a rubbery feel. Bird eggs, on the other hand, are smooth.
Why are Snake Eggs Soft?
Snake eggs are soft because snakes do not incubate their eggs. As with all living things, they are a product of evolution.
Birds need to stay on top of the egg, physically. While they do not sit on them with their full weight, they are still heavy. Because of this need for incubation, the eggs are subject to pressure. As a result, evolution made the eggshell harder and harder.
Almost all snakes leave their eggs after laying them. Some species, like the cobras, may bury the eggs under a pile of leaves and debris. Despite this, there is no need for the eggshells to get hard since the mother’s weight is not on top of them.
Related Article: Snake Eggs vs Chicken Eggs
Are Snake Eggs Flexible?
Flexible is not the right word to use. The correct term is soft or pliable. What this means is that the egg has some resilience. If one presses they eggs, they come back to their original form.
They are like memory foam mattresses. Of course, there is only so much pressure that the sake egg can take. Too much pressure and it is going to cut. It does not break like a chicken’s egg because it is not hard.
To get an idea of how it “breaks,” one must think of ripping leather apart. Another excellent analogy is how rubber looks when someone rips it.
What Does a Snake Egg Look Like Inside?
The inside of a snake egg contains the embryo and a gooey substance that looks like a custard. It is the yolk that is yellowish. Unlike a chicken egg, it has no discernible egg yolk or white.
Some snake eggs are not fertilized. If this is the case, there is no embryo on it. If there is, then the embryo looks like any others—it will eventually develop a pair of eyes with an identifiable head and body.
Can People Eat Snake Eggs?
Yes, snake eggs are edible. However, they are tough. Since they have no egg white, they do not cook like the sunny side up version of chicken eggs.
Snake eggs are very firm, chewy, and rubbery. As far as the taste is concerned, they taste like a chicken egg.
What is the Size of a Snake Egg?
The size of snake eggs varies from one species to another. The general average for many species of snakes is one inch.
Snake eggs are oval in shape, and the color is off white. Snake eggs are not as white as the egg of a chicken.
One surprising thing about snake eggs is that they grow in size. It happens to eggs that go through the incubation process, like the eggs of pythons. The size gets bigger because the eggs absorb water.
Smaller snakes lay eggs around 30 millimeters. Large snakes can lay eggs up to inches. Python eggs can reach between three and four inches in length.
Python eggs are also heavy, as they can weigh up to 103 grams. Chicken eggs, however, typically weigh 70 grams.
Related Article: Snake Eggs vs Turtle Eggs
What do Snake Eggs Look Like after they Hatch?
After a snake comes out of an egg, the egg merely has a hole in it. Since snakes are elongated animals, there is no reason to rip apart the eggshell.
Birds are big and have to break the egg. Snakes do not do this. Since the snake egg is leathery, it does not break apart.
The baby snake needs a small hole where it can fit, and it will crawl out. Some pet owners have to stimulate the egg to make the baby snake come out.
On some occasions, some eggs “break” a little bit. It happens when the snake is huge. For example, baby bull snakes are long by the time they emerge. They average between 12 and 18 inches by the time they hatch.
Conclusion
Snake eggs do not look like chicken eggs. Their shape is oval, and they have a leathery texture, which borders towards being rubbery.
The snake egg is pliable, while a bird’s egg is hard. The eggs evolved this way because most snakes do not incubate their eggs.
Snake egg is edible, but it is rubbery when cooked. Since it has no egg white, only the yolk would come out of it, and this yolk is yellowish with a custard texture.
Stuart is the editor of Fauna Facts. He edits our writers’ work as well as contributing his own content. Stuart is passionate about sustainable farming and animal welfare and has written extensively on cows and geese for the site.