Credit to Stewart Macdonald

 Nutrition

          The eastern brown snake acquires its nutrition from consuming other organisms. These generally smaller organisms are killed by potent venom that the snake releases from its fangs when it strikes the prey. The snake then consumes the prey by dislodging its jaw and swallowing its prey whole.

          Once inside the snake the prey goes through the esophagus and into the stomach of the snake, enzymes begin to break the prey down. It then moves through the intestines where nutrient uptake begins. Once the nutrients are taken up in the small intestine, it then enters the closed circulatory system and the nutrients are then dispersed equally throughout the body. What is not used for nutrients is released back into the environment as feces.   

          The eastern brown snake’s main food source when it is young is small lizards, frogs and other cold-blooded organisms. Once an adult, however, it switches its food source to mainly small rodents such as mice and rats. This is why it is found in places closely associated with humans because rodents are generally known for living amongst humans.

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