Snake eggs and lizard eggs look quite similar, since they are both reptiles. Both are white or off-white with a rubbery texture and an ovaloid shape similar to bird eggs. Lizard eggs tend to be smoother than snake eggs, and sometimes have visible pink veins.
In this article we’ll look at some of the subtle differences between snake and lizard eggs and explore the reasons for those differences.
Snake Eggs vs Lizard Eggs
| Snake Eggs | Lizard Eggs | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | Soft and pliable | Varies between species |
| Shape | Ovaloid | Ovaloid or Spherical |
| Color | White or off-white | White or off-white, sometimes with visible veins |
| Texture | Leathery with small bumps | Rubbery and smooth |
| Content | Very large yolk, minimal albumen | Large yolk, minimal albumen |
1. Hardness
Snake eggs are soft and leathery but resilient. If snake eggs are deformed they will return to their original shape. Lizards, however, have varying egg hardness. Some species have hard eggs, while some have soft eggs.
For example, gecko eggs harden once they get exposed to the environment. They harden like a chicken’s egg. On the other hand, an iguana’s egg is like a snake’s egg in hardness and texture.
One interesting thing about iguana’s egg is that inside the mother, they are connected with each other, like sausages. It is as if they are sausages wrapped with intestine.
Related Article: Snake Eggs vs Chicken Eggs
2. Shape
Snake eggs are oblong and symmetrical. Lizard eggs are also oblong, but some lizards have spherical eggs depending on the species.
For the gecko alone, it has so many species that their eggs do not look alike. Some are really oblong, while some are rounded.
3. Color
The egg of a snake is either beige or off-white. Some people call it dirty white. The eggs of most lizards are white, and some have visible pinkish veins when they are about to hatch.
Iguanas, on the other hand, have cream-colored eggs. They get dirty and will have spots because of the dirt. Iguanas dig burrows where they can deposit their eggs.
Geckos are much more interesting. Their eggs are chalky white, and they are somehow translucent. People who breed geckos put the eggs under the light to see if it is fertilized or not.
4. Texture
Snake eggs have a leathery or rubbery texture. They are never smooth like a chicken’s eggs. Lizard eggs have varying textures.
Generally, lizard eggs have the same texture as that of a snake’s egg. However, one can also easily observe that a house lizard’s eggs are smooth.
Most lizard eggs are soft and leathery in texture. However, some begin to harden and smoothen over time. This process happens when the minerals inside the eggs react with the eggshell. Eventually, they feel like a bird’s egg.
Related Article: Are Snake Eggs Soft?
5. Content
Snake eggs have a yolk that has a custard texture. Unlike a bird’s egg, reptile eggs have large yolks and very little albumen. Inside a snake’s egg, the large yolk takes up almost the entire inside of the egg.
Lizard eggs also have very little albumen on the inside, though the exact ratio of yolk to albumen varies between species.
In Florida, there are people who hunt iguanas for their eggs.
Related Article: Snake Eggs vs Turtle Eggs
Do Snake Eggs look like Lizard Eggs?
Snake eggs and lizard eggs look very similar, although there are some variations in color, size, and shape between different species.
Snake eggs are off-white or beige in color. Lizard eggs are often white, off-white, or cream.
Depending on the species, lizard eggs may be look smaller than snake eggs, and may show visible pink veins through the translucent outer membrane of the egg when it’s close to hatching.
Read Also: Dead Lizard Symbolism
How to Identify Snake Eggs
Snake eggs are ovaloid in shape, white or off-white in color, soft and leathery, and are usually around one inch in length (2.5cm). Snake eggs are very similar to a lot of reptile eggs, so it’s not always possible to fully identify a snake egg without using a lamp to see what’s inside them.
Big snakes like pythons have large eggs, about four inches in length. Lizard eggs are small. Some are only half an inch long. Bigger lizards have bigger eggs. The monitor lizard, for example, has eggs that are like chicken eggs.
Do Lizards Eat Snake Eggs?
Yes, lizards eat snake eggs, but this is a rare occurrence. If anything, it is the other way around. Lizards tend to protect their eggs when there are snakes around.
Snakes are much more aggressive hunters of eggs than lizards. Big lizards like the water monitor will eat snake eggs if they find an unprotected clutch.
In the wild, monitor lizards typically hunt for crocodile eggs. Some monitor lizards even work together to distract the crocodile to get to the eggs.
Do Snakes Eat Lizard Eggs?
Yes, snakes eat lizard eggs. Snakes are predators of any type of eggs. There are even snakes whose primary diet is egg. In the wild, lizards guard their eggs against snakes.
Snakes, on the other hand, rarely do this. The snakes just lay their eggs and walk away, making the eggs vulnerable to predators. Only a few kinds of pythons guard their eggs and incubate them.
Conclusion
Snake eggs are oblong, and they have a soft or leathery texture. Lizard eggs are the same, but it cannot be said for all lizard species. Some lizard eggs harden as they are exposed to the environment, and they resemble bird eggs.
Both snake eggs and lizard eggs are edible. Inside, the snake’s egg only has the embryo and the yolk. Its yolk has a custard feel to it, and it is gooey. A lizard’s egg is more fluid, like a chicken’s.
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.