Ask A Scientist© Biology Archive

 
name jodi
status student
grade K-3
location

Question - how do snakes reproduct?
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Hi Jodi!
Snakes are kind of different animals arenīt they?
But concerning reproduction they are very similar
to the other animals including the animal man, that
are us!
So, there are 2 sexes, the female snake and the male
snake.
Both sexes are needed for reproduction, and their
bodies are a little different, so they have organs
apropriate for females and for males in order for them
to reproduce. Nature is very perfect, when it is
the adequate time for reproduction there are an inside
urgent call for the male to look for a female and also
for the female to accept that call. Actually she has
the
same urgent call. Then as in other animal couples
they get very close one to another, and they hug
themselves very tightly so the male is able to drop
his "seeds" (that are called sperm ) inside the female
body. After that, the sperm inside the snake female
gets in contact with her sexual organ, the oviduct,
where there are a collection of eggs. At that place,
when the sperm gets in contact with the eggs, and goes
inside it, the baby snakes begin to be formed.
After some time, the babies are ready to be born.
Depending upon each species there are some that
are born "alive" that is the little snake itself ,
and
they are called viviparous .
Other species have their babies delivered inside
eggs like the chicken do. They are called oviparous.
The eggs must hatch for the little snakes to be
born , that is to live.
Both the viviparous and the oviparous snakes have
an opening in the body called cloaca. It is through
the
cloaca that the female snakes expel both the eggs and
the babies already alive.
OK! Jodi!
Glad you asked us, at NEWTON!

Mabel , a grandma teacher
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Hi,

Snakes reproduce just like most other familiar species. A male snake and a 
female snake mate and this produces babies. Snakes are very interesting 
because some snakes lay eggs while others give birth to live baby snakes.

Thanks for your question to Newton! Keep up the good science thinking!

Laura Hungerford, DVM, MPH, PhD
University of Maryland, Baltimore
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