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Snake Maternal Instincts
Chapter 26: Reptiles and Birds
As you have learned, most reptiles including snakes, leave their eggs once they have been laid. Pythons, however, care for their eggs until they hatch. For example, a female Carpet python will only leave her eggs to bask in the sun. Once her body temperature has been raised, she will return to the eggs to warm them. The female Indian python doesnąt have to leave her eggs. An Indian python is capable of producing body heat by rhythmically contracting her body muscles. The Indian python can maintain the temperature of her eggs within a temperature differential of 5–7 °C.
Analyze the Data
- How does the behavior of pythons benefit reproductive success?
- Some snakes bury their eggs in piles of leaves for protection and to keep them warm. How is this similar to the pythons' behavior?
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