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.