If there is an interesting animal, at the height of any other, that is the snake. Snakes are very interesting and many people spend their lives studying them. Besides, some find their appearance especially attractive. In this article we will talk about how snakes are born. The most shocking fact is that they have no attachment to any other living being. They are solitary animals that abandon even their own young. The life expectancy of a snake varies between twelve and forty years. Depending on the species and its size. The size also depends on the species and is really variable. Around two years of life they become sexually mature in the case of females. There is a possibility that males may take a few more months to achieve fertility.
Snakes and mating
To mate, the males find the female snakes by the pheromones that emanate from them when looking for a mate. Sometimes it gives rise to a fight between males in which they compete for the right to mate. Be that as it may, the last word is with the female. When she is there she agrees, intercourse begins. Once the act is over, the males usually escape because the females become aggressive.
In some species, the snakes store the sperm to be able to use it until months later. This way they have a margin of time to decide when to fertilize the eggs. They usually wait for good weather to do so.
Hunt
It is interesting to know what snakes eat. All, without exception, eat meat. Some species even eat other snakes. They normally have two tactics to hunt. One is to use its poison to defeat the target. Some snakes are venomous enough to kill their prey with just one touch. Others, larger in size, use constriction, thus immobilizing the prey until it is completely reduced. Not being able to chew what they hunted, their only option is to swallow. The teeth they have in their mouths are very sharp and their orientation is diagonal towards the interior of the body. In this way, if the prey tries to escape, the only thing it will achieve is to sink its teeth more. The danger of snakes is their ability to go unnoticed. It is one of the 12 animal masters of camouflage .
To swallow their victims they are able to separate the mandible and maxilla. In this way it manages to open enough so that the prey can enter. They are capable of swallowing larger animals. This is thanks to the fact that they do not have bones in that area that makes it difficult to pass into their body.
They are also able to detect if a body gives off heat. So if they can’t see, that’s what they rely on to attack or not. If they detect a hot body, they interpret it as a danger or a prey, so they will go on the attack. Despite not having good eyesight, they detect motion.
Snakes are hardly capable of hearing. They make up for this lack with sensitivity to vibration produced on the ground. While odors are perceived by the nose. They use their tongue to analyze trapped substances, either on the ground or in the air.
Instructions for snakes are born
The length of incubation in the snake depends on the species and its mode of reproduction. But it is usually around three to five months. The reproduction of snakes can occur in two ways ; ovoviviparous and viviparous. These differ in the process or manner of incubating the eggs. As well as the development of offspring. Viviparous reproduction consists of the embryo ending its growth outside, in order to hatch. While the ovoviviparous preserves the embryo and does not release them until they are ready for birth.
Almost all oviparous mothers, once the eggs are laid, disregard their care. Only a few exceptions take care of them. Once they are born, they abandon the young. These are at the mercy of any predator or other circumstances. This is when they develop their instinct for survival. From birth his life depends on the quality of this instinct. Since at the moment of birth it is normal for there to be conflicts and fights between the brothers in the nest. This results, as a result, in those who survive coming out of that experience much stronger. The steps for the pups to be born are:
- After mating, the female snake uses the sperm to fertilize the eggs.
- Depending on the type of reproduction, the embryo grows outside or inside it.
- When they are born, they have a small tooth on their snout, called an egg tooth. It helps them to break the shell.
- From then on, they are alone. His life depends entirely on them, since they are abandoned by the mother.
What do you need to hatch snakes?
Thanks to their extreme sense of survival, snakes do not need many comforts to have young. They can also choose the time in which to fertilize the eggs. As we have pointed out before, they are capable of saving the semen to use it when the weather is better. It is well known that snakes are not the best mothers in the world. Parents only participate in mating. The mother’s commitment extends, at most, until birth.
Here we will talk about what they need to have offspring:
- Mating.
- Warm temperature in other meteorological conditions they will not be able to hatch. Hence, some snakes store the male’s semen to fertilize at the right time of year.
- Between two and five months for incubation.
- A nest.
Tips for snakes are born
If we are in love with snakes and we want to have them at home, we must know them a little more. As well as being aware of the environment they need, both to live and to rise.
Although we see it as a pet or a companion animal, these snakes are wild. His nature will never change. She’s not going to develop feelings for us, since she doesn’t even do that with her young. From the day they are born they are predatory and solitary. Their nature is totally wild and that is the way they should live. If we already have a snake at home, it would be good to find out what it needs. Temperature is a very important factor, both for them and for the fertilization of the eggs.
They must be controlled at all times. They are unpredictable and their instinct is always going to be, if they can’t escape, to attack. If it is poisonous we must be very careful and take all possible precautions. It is advisable to know how to deal with snake bites. If, on the other hand, we see a snake or the young of one of them, it is important not to disturb them. Nor harm them. The first instinct of the snake is to escape if the enemy is of a superior size. This will not prevent her from attacking if she feels cornered. We must not underestimate its speed and dexterity when it comes to charging. They mark distances very well and move at great speed when they want. They are even able to jump.
The most sensible thing is, if we know that there may be snakes, to take a good look at where we step. And try to avoid contact with them. The snake is a wonderful animal worthy of study. Even its venom is used for medical purposes and skin creams. But it is an animal that we must set free.
