The ( Regina septemvittata ) is a "dietary specialist." Unlike most snakes, it feeds almost exclusively on freshly molted crayfish . It uses a highly developed sense of smell to track down the chemical scent of ecdysone , a hormone crayfish release right before they shed their hard shells. At this stage, the crayfish is "soft as a boiled egg," making it easy for the small-toothed queensnake to eat. 2. The Art of Moulage