# Will egg yolks harm the local wildlife? Am I inviting snakes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492 "2013-10-17T16:06:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/1 "2013-10-17T16:06:55Z")
I recently started eating about six boiled egg whites daily. They are tasty, high in protein and low in calories. That leaves me with six cooked egg yolks every day that I’m not consuming because of the cholesterol. Putting them down the disposer made the entire kitchen smell of sulphur and other malodorous egg-y stuff. Ditto putting them in the trash - waiting for the weekly pickup made the garage stink. So I’ve been throwing the hard-cooked yolks out the window into the backyard. I toss the yellow spheres outside throughout the day. Overnight something eats them. I live in suburban Boston, where the wildlife consists of squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, raccoons, coyotes, snakes and the odd deer. I don’t know what’s eating the yolks. I hope it’s not snakes; I _hate_ snakes worse than Indy Jones does and don’t want to encourage them. So two questions: 1. What’s most likely eating the yolks? Snakes? (I hope to heaven not.) 2. If it is a mammal, am I causing it harm? Are squirrels going to fall out of the trees with coronaries? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/2 "2013-10-17T16:13:11Z")
Why are you cooking them? I would imagine that almost any animal that comes across them is going to eat them; most likely raccoons, birds, squirrels, and other small rodents. What makes you think it would be snakes? You could spread out some sand, toss the yolks on top, then look at the tracks. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/3 "2013-10-17T16:13:13Z")
Almost anything will eat an egg yoke but probably not snakes. They prefer life food except for the ones that will eat whole eggs. Fat is an important part of any animals diet and is usually the biggest challenge most animals face is getting enough fat. So I wouldn’t worry about it too much. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/4 "2013-10-17T16:16:31Z")
Snakes, raccoons, birds, and many other animals eat eggs as part of their natural diet. But you might consider [eating the yolks](http://www.businessinsider.com/13-nutrition-lies-that-made-the-world-sick-and-fat-2013-10#1-eggs-are-bad-for-your-health-1). > [@](#): > > [E]ggs have been demonized in the past because they contain a large amount of cholesterol, which was believed to increase the risk of heart disease. > > But the truth is that despite being high in cholesterol, eggs don’t really raise the bad cholesterol in the blood. In fact, eggs primarily raise the “good” cholesterol. [Cite: The National Center for Biotechnology Information](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23021013) > [@](#): > > CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating daily whole egg intake into a moderately carbohydrate-restricted diet provides further improvements in the atherogenic lipoprotein profile and in insulin resistance in individuals with MetS. There are other citations in the first link. ---
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/5 "2013-10-17T16:22:31Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Why are you cooking them? > > I would imagine that almost any animal that comes across them is going to eat them; most likely raccoons, birds, squirrels, and other small rodents. What makes you think it would be snakes? > > You could spread out some sand, toss the yolks on top, then look at the tracks. I cook the eggs whole in the shell in an automatic egg boiler. It’s a nifty gadget. Then I peel the shell, extract the yolk and toss it outside. I thought snakes because I read somewhere that they like to slither into henhouses and eat eggs and some will eat birds’ eggs in nests. But I might be wrong. IANAH. (I am not a herpetologist.) I really admire your idea of the sand,DCnDC. _Very_ clever! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/6 "2013-10-17T16:22:45Z")
Put them in a bowl in the fridge and toss them directly into the trash right before you take the trash out. They won’t get smelly in the fridge. I’ve accidentally left yolks in the fridge for weeks without issue. Or eat them, hell yeah! ETA: Oh…you are boiling them before removing the yolks. Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/7 "2013-10-17T16:26:16Z")
During the summer, we put putrescibles into the freezer until trash night. Then even if it thaws before pickup, it doesn’t have the time to really rot and smell. Just make sure it’s labeled well or that everyone knows that the dish without the lid is garbage, or whatever works. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/8 "2013-10-17T16:30:07Z")
it could be egg eating snakes that you have attracted from India or Africa. ---
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/9 "2013-10-17T16:31:12Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > During the summer, we put putrescibles into the freezer until trash night. Then even if it thaws before pickup, it doesn’t have the time to really rot and smell. > > Just make sure it’s labeled well or that everyone knows that the dish without the lid is garbage, or whatever works. “Putrescibles!” That’s a gorgeous word! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/10 "2013-10-17T16:38:32Z")
Get a cheap video camera that detects motion and sends images to your e-mail, then post them here. There are lots of other possibilities for what is eating the egg yolks - including bears, hoboes, Bigfoot, space aliens…:eek: ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/11 "2013-10-17T16:45:34Z")
I wouldn’t be surprised if it were mostly just insects breaking them up and carrying them off. Insects are remarkably efficient at cleaning up that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/12 "2013-10-17T17:09:03Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I wouldn’t be surprised if it were mostly just insects breaking them up and carrying them off. Insects are remarkably efficient at cleaning up that sort of thing. I would agree with you, DCnDC, except that six yolks are a pretty substantial weight for insects. One or two, yeah, maybe but not all six. It’d take the army ants that Charlton Heston faced in _Naked Jungle_ to carry off six heavy yolks night after night. ---
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/13 "2013-10-17T17:13:08Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Snakes, raccoons, birds, and many other animals eat eggs as part of their natural diet. > > But you might consider [eating the yolks](http://www.businessinsider.com/13-nutrition-lies-that-made-the-world-sick-and-fat-2013-10#1-eggs-are-bad-for-your-health-1). > > [Cite: The National Center for Biotechnology Information](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23021013) > > There are other citations in the first link. Well, Johnny, on your excellent advice (newbie that I am, how can I question the wisdom of a Charter Member?) I have just eaten an egg yolk. It was delicious. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/14 "2013-10-17T17:16:21Z")
> [@Tante\_Dillie](#): > > “Putrescibles!” That’s a gorgeous word! Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/15 "2013-10-17T17:19:38Z")
> [@Tante\_Dillie](#): > > newbie that I am, how can I question the wisdom of a Charter Member? Oh, I’m a wise guy, all right! (Note: There is no secret group of Wise Guys who run the world. Anything you hear about the Weisenheimers is false.) ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/16 "2013-10-17T17:32:16Z")
It wouldn’t even surprise me if the critter eating the egg yolks wasn’t wild. Cats and dogs would both eat egg yolks like that, though pet cats are more likely to be prowling around at night. Then you also have feral populations of cats and dogs in most areas. The idea of a squirrel with a heart attack is pretty humorous, but I don’t think there’s much to worry about. As someone else already said, wild animals don’t have the excess of food that people do, so a little extra fat is likely to be a good thing. That and the fact that cholesterol problems take decades to build up. It’s one thing to live on a diet of egg yolks if you can live to 60. If you’re only going to live 6 years, then there’s not so much time for disease to build up. And the only reason I’d worry about snakes is that your eggs may be attracting rodents. It would be the rodents that might attract snakes. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/17 "2013-10-17T18:04:09Z")
what is eating it is not a yolking matter. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/18 "2013-10-17T18:20:39Z")
I’m not convinced that feeding raccoons (or any other wildlife) is a great idea unless you want them setting up residence in your attic or crawlspace. They’re cute at a distance, but can be trouble in they get used to being fed. I support the “throw the yolks in the freezer until garbage day” plan. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/19 "2013-10-17T18:55:41Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > what is eating it is not a yolking matter. That was eggs-ecrable. Did you poach that from someone? ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492/20 "2013-10-17T19:06:58Z")
Maybe I’ve lived a shell-tered life, but I did not crack up at that joke. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egg-yolks-harm-the-local-wildlife-am-i-inviting-snakes/671492.md?page=2)