Re: Theropod eating and attacking

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

NJPharris@aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 97-08-26 03:48:53 EDT, Tompaleo@aol.com writes:
> 
> > Do modern reptiles hork up parts of their prey?
> >  Taking a cue from crocs and snakes, I'd say no.
> 
> Egg-eating snakes do, in fact, hork up (getting kinda technical, aren't we?)
> crushed eggshells.

This seems kind of strange, since egg shell must be more digestible
than thicker bones or hair. How many of us did that experiment as
kids, of leaving an egg in vinegar over night to produce a rubbery
egg? I would assume that egg shell would also be an excellant
source of calcium. Can anyone think of reasons why such a useful and
easily digested resource is regurgitated by snakes? Here's a few
thoughts:

Eggs are broken inside the body cavity by muscular contractions and
small projections of the vertebrae in order to speed up the digestion
of the egg's contents. The broken egg shell is sharp in places
and probably not too comfortable moving around inside the gut. The
snake regurgitated the shell to remove the nasty sharp bits.
        OR...
The snake wishes to eat more than one egg at a time, but the bulk of
a single intact egg is bad enough for its streamlined shape. It breaks
the eggs and regurgitates the shells, leaving room for more of those
energy-rich contents.

        Any more suggestions?
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        Dann Pigdon
        Melbourne, Australia
        http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/4459/

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