Do Owls Eat Snakes? Animals Beach

Owls are exciting and interesting birds. They are very lithe predators; they usually only hunt smaller animals, and they have no natural predators. They are always looking for opportunities when they want to chase other animals.

So, our main topic today is “Do owls eat snakes?”. Let’s find it.

Yes, owls eat snakes. Some reports said that the snakes are on top of the Owl’s list because they like to eat snakes. That could be a fact, but according to our research, there are no species of Owl that exclusively eat snakes. Owls eat many small animals. They can eat anything they capture, such as fish, insects, birds, etc. The other main thing, owls can eat another owl.

How Owls Hunt Snakes?

Many species of owls live all around the world. Some of them are very excellent at hunting. They are also very apex predators. The most harmful and powerful Owl is The Great Horned Owl. Owls also have don’t many enemies. But they can hunt each other.

Owls always like to sit on the top of the tree and look for their prey (small animals). They also have some great weapons. The top one is their night vision. Night vision helps them a lot to find their prey.

They have binocular vision, which helps them to see at night. Humans also have binocular vision. That’s why we see in the night. Owls’ excellent night vision and sharp claws help them hunt other animals.

Owls also have an excellent directional hearing. When they fly, their feathers don’t make much noise, meaning they fly almost silently. This is also very helpful for the owls.

As I mentioned, owls commonly eat snakes. Owls grab them and use their claws to hunt them. They always use their claws to hunt every other small animal.

However, there is always a great risk when owls hunt snakes. Snakes fight back and can try to bite the Owl. If a snake bites the Owl, a snake bite can kill the Owl.

Note: Owls also can hunt on the ground. Check this post to maximize your knowledge.

Does An Owl Eat Poisonous Snakes?

Yes, owls can eat poisonous snakes and also non-poisonous ones. Most of the cases, owls hunt poisonous snakes. But sometimes, snakes fight back to defend themself.

Venomous snakes have big sizes, so only large owls can hunt them. The great horned owls are the top predators of snakes because they can kill 13 species of snakes. This Owl is the large one among them and very dangerous.

Another exciting thing is that owls also eat poisonous animals like scorpions. The poison can affect them, but they do not get poorly injured during their attack from the sky.

What Type Of Owl Eats Snakes?

Some owls eat snakes more commonly than others. Here is a list of some owls that usually hunt snakes.

Barn Owl:

The main fact about barn owls is that they live worldwide. Barn owls also live in polar regions, deserts, and some areas in northern Africa.

The most common diet for them is mice, but they are widespread. So, some reports said that they hunt snakes but small ones.

Great Horned Owl:

The great horned owls are the large ones in the owl species and live in the north, central and south America. We can also call them tiger and hoot owls.

Same as the other, this one is also active at night. They are very dangerous and aggressive’s. Becomes more territorial when they defend their young.

According to research, they also attack humans. Their primary diet is mammals like birds, scorpions, etc. They also hunt and eat the snakes, also the big ones.

Screech Owl:

There are two types of the screech owl, the western and southern screech owl. They have different from each other as they sound and call differently. The top difference between them is their high-pitched screech.

Their primary diet comes from small mammals, birds, and large insects. Sometimes, they also attack animals that are bigger than their size. They also hunt snakes.

Barred Owl:

This is a large species of Owl that is found in North America. We can also call them Striped Owls. They see the opportunity, then hunt their target. They can also hunt during the day. But they do it during the cloudy day or nesting season.

Their primary diet is mice and other small animals. But they also eat birds, snakes, and fish.

Do Snakes Afraid Of Owls?

Snakes are very dangerous and alert animals. Most of cases, they avoid fighting. They constantly avoid fighting with any animal larger than them, so it is hard to say whether it is a fear or not.

Although snakes are dangerous, they always try to avoid danger. But most owls attack from the sky, so snakes do not judge what is coming. That’s why snakes do not have enough time to run or are afraid, so they fight back.

Do Snakes Eat Owls?

Yes, snakes can eat owls, but only small ones or owls’ eggs. As we all know, most owl nests are in the trees, and the mother is always there to protect their eggs. Although snakes are excellent tree climbers, it’s a considerable risk when the mother protects the nest. So, they eat the eggs that fall out of the nest.

Burrowing owls make their nest in the old caves, which means they stay in the ground. So, it’s a high risk for their eggs to be eaten by the snakes because they spend their time mainly in the ground.

Some Other Birds That Eat Snakes:

Although many birds can eat the snakes, if the snake’s size is small, then a chicken can try to kill the snake. But usually, snakes are only a regular diet of some birds.

But, one particular bird exists in the world that eats snakes regularly. The brown snake eagle is a bird whose favorite diet is snakes. They live in East and Southern Africa. These eagles are 30 cm tall, and their maximum weight can be 5 pounds. They are fearless and very dangerous eagles for snakes. Their powerful talons and sharp beak help them hunt for snakes. They also hunt venomous snakes. They kill cobras and also black mambas.

Apart from the brown snake eagle, some other birds kill snakes. Here is the list:

• Falcons
• Hawks
• Roadrunners
• Crows
• Great blue heron
• Kookaburra
• Guineafowls
• Anhinga

Conclusion:

Owls are very expert hunters in the world. Their hunting skills in the dark are also excellent. So, they will hunt the snakes if they get any opportunity.

Owls hunt and eat different species. So, they also hunt and eat snakes. They also can eat poison and non-poison snakes.

FAQs:

Can Owls Eat Snakes?

Yes, owls can hunt and eat snakes. Owls are quite fond many times to eat snakes.

Do owls eat poisonous snakes?

Yes, owls eat poisonous snakes. But, the venomous snakes are large, so only large owls can hunt and eat them.

Can snakes eat owls?

Yes, snakes can eat owls. But, if the size of the Owl is smaller than a snake, it will be easy for the snake to hunt Owl.