They leave the ocean to digest their food, mate and lay eggs. The only genus of sea snake that lays eggs is sea kraits. Snake eggs cannot develop and incubate underwater. Other popular elapids include cobras, adders, and mambas.Īlmost every species of sea snake has evolved to give live birth because they rarely or never visit the land. Most species of snakes in the Elapidae family (known as “elapids”) lay eggs. Sea snakes belong to the family Elapidae.

Any would-be predators that have experienced their wrath will know to give a gravid female a wide berth. They likely developed this reproductive method thanks to their excellent self-defense mechanism. They are closely related to true cobras, but all true cobras lay eggs – they are oviparous. Rinkhals, also known as ring-necked spitting cobras, are ovoviviparous. Now that you have a keen understanding of the difference between live bearing female snakes and those that lay a clutch of eggs, let’s dive into discussing the various different viviparous breeds! Rinkhals

Rattlesnakes are an excellent example of this – they can defend themselves with their venom, so the mothers are relatively safe to carry their offspring.Īquatic snakes, arboreal snakes, and snakes living in cold climates also evolved to be live-bearing to give their progeny a better chance at surviving. Snakes evolved viviparous and ovoviviparous means of reproduction when the risk of predation was lower for the mother than for a clutch of eggs. Many shark species are also ovoviviparous. Most live-bearing snakes are believed to be ovoviviparous. The embryos do develop in an egg, but that egg is incubated and hatches internally, inside the mother’s body. Ovoviviparous snakes and other animal species, reproduce in the middle ground between viviparous and oviparous. Mammals are the most well-known viviparous reproducers, with requiem sharks and some of the snakes that we will learn about below being the exceptions. It’s only recently been confirmed that some snake species are fully viviparous and not, in fact, ovoviviparous. When the embryos are finished growing, they are born alive in a membrane. Viviparous snakes and other animal species, develop their offspring internally, providing nutrients via the placenta and yolk sack. ⭐️ Fun Fact: Did you know? The earliest snakes species were ALL oviparous, which makes sense when you consider the environmental risks they faced from predators before evolution had a chance to equip them with defense mechanisms. They do not need to nourish and carry their young internally, but they’re still able to give them the best chance at survival by guarding the nest. This lets them live the best of both worlds. Species that have developed excellent defensive capabilities, such as immense size or venom, evolved the instinct to protect their eggs. Laying a clutch of eggs reduced the burden on the maternal animal she was able to lay her eggs and get back to the hard work of survival. Other reptiles such as the Blue-Tongue Skink and Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink also give live birth. Most colubrids, such as king snakes and corn snakes, most elapids, like cobras, as well as birds, are classified as oviparous.

Oviparous snakes and other animal species lay eggs which incubate in the environment and then hatch. Wrapping Up Snakes That Give Live Birth.Why Did Live Bearing Snakes Evolve? to Achieve Better Baby Survival Rates.

Offsprings give it to me baby