Great Egrets are large, white wading birds found throughout much of the world. They are known for their elegant plumes and stately hunting behavior in wetlands. Great Egrets have a varied diet, feeding on fish, amphibians, small mammals, and reptiles. This raises the question – do Great Egrets eat snakes?
About Great Egrets
The Great Egret (Ardea alba) is a large, white heron that can stand over 3 feet tall with a wingspan reaching over 4 feet wide. They have a long, yellow bill and black legs and feet. During breeding season, Great Egrets develop long ornamental plumes along their back, chest, and head. The rest of the year their plumage is entirely white.
Great Egrets are found in wetlands throughout much of the world. In North America they breed in the southeastern United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. They migrate south for the winter and can be found along coastlines from the United States to South America.
Great Egret Diet
Great Egrets are opportunistic feeders, eating a wide variety of prey. Their diet generally consists of:
– Fish
– Amphibians (frogs, salamanders)
– Crustaceans (crayfish)
– Small mammals
– Birds
– Reptiles
– Insects
They stalk patiently in shallow water waiting for prey to come near. When they spot something, they strike quickly with their long neck and stab with their sharp bill. They also stir up mud and vegetation to scare prey into motion.
Do Great Egrets Eat Snakes?
Yes, Great Egrets are known to eat snakes as part of their varied diet. Snakes make up a relatively small portion compared to fish, frogs, and other wetland creatures, but Great Egrets will readily feed on snakes when given the opportunity.
Several different species of snakes have been documented as prey for Great Egrets, including:
Water Snakes
– Common Water Snake
– Brown Water Snake
– Banded Water Snake
Water snakes are found in and along the wetlands where Great Egrets hunt. These nonvenomous snakes make for easy targets as they swim in the water and hunt for fish and frogs.
Garter Snakes
– Common Garter Snake
– Red-sided Garter Snake
Garter snakes are one of the most widely distributed snakes in North America. They thrive in wet environments, making them vulnerable to predation by wading birds like the Great Egret.
Rough Green Snakes
Rough Green Snakes are slender, bright green snakes that live in trees and bushes near water. When they come down to the wetlands, Great Egrets are able to snatch them up.
Western Ribbon Snakes
Western Ribbon Snakes frequent shorelines and wetlands, putting them directly in the Great Egret’s path. Their slim bodies make for an easy meal.
How Do Great Egrets Catch and Eat Snakes?
Great Egrets employ the same general hunting techniques when feeding on snakes as they do other prey. Here is how they catch and eat snake meals:
Striking
Great Egrets will patiently stand in shallow water scanning for potential prey. When a snake swims by, the egret rapidly extends its long neck and stabs down, catching the snake in its bill. The egret then retrieves the snake and manipulates it into position for swallowing.
Shaking
Similar to herons and egrets hunting fish, the egret may grasp the snake and shake it violently. This helps subdue and kill the snake before swallowing.
Swallowing
Great Egrets have no teeth, so they swallow all their prey whole. Snakes are consumed head first to aid in sliding down the egret’s throat. For larger snakes, the egret may repeatedly throw and catch the snake to further subdue and align it for easier swallowing.
Defensive reactions
Some snakes will try to bite or coil around the egret in defense. The egret vigorously shakes and repeatedly strikes the snake on the ground or water to make it release its grip for safe swallowing.
Snake Species | Region | Notes |
---|---|---|
Garter snake | Ontario, Canada | Egret caught swimming snake and swallowed it whole. |
Rough Green Snake | Florida, USA | Egret plucked snake from vegetation and ate it. |
Common Water Snake | Arkansas, USA | After catching the snake, the egret repeatedly struck it on the ground before consuming. |
Why Do Great Egrets Eat Snakes?
Great Egrets are opportunistic predators, so they will eat snakes for the same reasons they eat other prey:
Nutritional Value
Snakes provide protein, calories, vitamins and minerals that support the Great Egret’s health.
Readily Available
In wetland habitats, snakes are plentiful and easily caught. This makes them a convenient food source.
Hunting Strategy
As ambush predators, Great Egrets eat whatever potential prey comes within striking distance. Snakes frequently cross their paths.
Manageable Size
Small to medium sized snakes are easy for Great Egrets to quickly kill and swallow whole. The snake’s slender shape helps it go down the egret’s throat.
Population Control
Eating snakes that share their habitat helps regulate competition for food sources. Fewer snakes means more fish, frogs, and other prey for the egrets.
Do Great Egrets Hunt Snakes Specifically?
Great Egrets do not specifically target snakes as preferred prey. However, they are likely to opportunistically feed on any snakes they encounter while foraging:
– They do not seek out areas with more snakes over other prey.
– They take advantage of chance encounters with snakes rather than tracking them.
– Snakes compise a small percentage of their diverse diet.
– They readily eat other more abundant wetland prey like fish and amphibians.
So while Great Egrets do consume snakes, they are not actively hunting them over other prey. Snakes are an occasional supplement when the opportunity arises in the egret’s wetland habitat.
Risks of Eating Snakes
Eating snakes does pose some risks, including:
Bites
Snakes commonly bite when captured as a defensive reaction. This could lead to injury for the egret, especially from venomous snakes. However, egrets are able to avoid or endure most snake bites.
Disease
Snakes may carry parasites or other infectious diseases. Consuming snake meat could potentially expose the egret. However, the egret’s strong digestive system likely protects it from most illness.
Toxins
The venom or other toxins from poisonous snakes could affect the egret when ingested. But egrets seem to have a high tolerance to many snake-borne toxins.
Physical injury
Trying to swallow larger snakes or defensively coiling snakes could potentially damage an egret’s throat or neck. However, egrets are adept at killing and manipulating snake prey to avoid this.
Overall the rewards appear to outweigh the risks for Great Egrets when opportunistically eating snake prey. The egrets have adapted to handle snakes and gain nutritional benefits with minimal downsides.
Population Impacts of Great Egrets Eating Snakes
Great Egrets eating snakes can have some impacts on ecological communities, although they are relatively small compared to other predator-prey relationships:
Declining snake populations
In specific isolated wetlands, egrets could potentially overhunt small snake species and reduce their numbers. But in most cases, other predators have a far greater impact on snake populations than sporadic egret predation.
Reduced competition
With fewer snakes around wetlands, it reduces competition for the egrets’ other prey like fish, frogs, and crayfish. More food availability benefits the egrets.
Increased insect populations
With fewer snakes to eat insects like crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and beetles, insect populations may rise. This indirectly benefits other insectivorous birds.
Disease transmission
Egrets could spread parasites or illness through the wetland food web after eating diseased snakes. But this limited exposure is unlikely to cause major outbreaks.
Overall the rareness of snakes in the Great Egret diet and the egrets’ population numbers have minimal impact on snake populations or the broader ecosystem.
Conclusion
In summary, Great Egrets are opportunistic feeders that will eat snakes in addition to their regular diet of aquatic prey. They take advantage of chance encounters with snakes in wetland environments, employing their rapid strike and swallowing behaviors. Snakes provide a nutritional supplement and allow egrets to regulate competition in their habitat. While there are some small risks and impacts, Great Egrets seem well adapted to handle snake prey when the opportunity arises without major downsides. So the answer is yes, Great Egrets do occasionally feed on snakes as part of their diverse diet in wetland ecosystems.