The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who seek them
Reptiles
Snakes – Hatching
Sep 2nd
Hatching takes place when the young snake is fully developed and when the yolk has been absorbed. Because the shell consists of a parchment-like material, and is not heavily calcified, it must be slit rather than broken. Escape from the egg is helped by a small thorn-like growth on the snout of the young snake, popularly known as the egg-tooth.
As the embryo develops inside the egg its requirement of oxygen goes up. At first, this requirement is met by oxygen passing through the permeable shell but, eventually, the young animal requires more oxygen than can be supplied in this way. It begins to become restless, twisting and turning inside its shell and pushing at the inner surface with its snout. More >
Marine Reptiles
Jul 28th
Although reptiles are the most ancient, truly terrestrial vertebrates, they have also evolved marine species several times during their 300 million-year history; the turtles are the oldest group of living reptiles in the sea, though there are only eight truly marine species left.
Sea turtles spend most of their lives in the water, coming ashore only to lay eggs. Sea snakes are relatively recent retunes to the sea but, nevertheless, they are the most abundant living marine reptiles both in terms of numbers and variety of species. Although they are all highly venomous carnivores, related to cobras, sea snakes are not aggressive to humans. More >
Colubrids
Jul 23rd
Sometimes referred to as typical snakes, colubrids form by far the largest family of snakes, accounting for almost two-thirds of all species. They include the familiar garter snakes, grass snakes, and whipsnakes. Colubrids occur in all parts of the world except Antarctica. Measured in both numbers of species and individuals, they are the most numerous snakes on all continents except Australia. Colubrids live in habitats ranging from freshwater lakes to coastal marshes and estuarine swamps, rainforest, and arid desert. Such variation in mode of life and habitat means that they have a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colorations. All the world’s rear-fanged venomous snakes are colubrids. More >
Anaconda – Eunectes murinus
Jul 22nd
With a maximum weight approaching 250 kilogram, the green and black anaconda is the world’s heaviest snake. It spends most of its life partially submerged in shallow water, and prefers areas with thick waterside vegetation, where it can move around unseen.
Anacondas hunt mainly after dark. They lie in wait for mammals such as capybaras and deer, and can even kill fully grown caimans; there are also records of them attacking people, sometimes with fatal results. Males are smaller than females, but have large pelvic spurs which they use during courtship. Females produce litters of 4-80 young, which take about 6 years to reach maturity. Anacondas may have a lifespan of 25 years or more. More >
Boas, Pythons and Relatives
Jul 22nd
Boas and pythons are powerful constricting snakes. They include the world’s largest snakes, among them the anaconda and the reticulated, African and Indian pythons. Boas and pythons do not reproduce in the same sway. They also have different distributions: pythons are found in Africa, Asia, and Australasia, while boas occur mainly in the Americas with a smaller number of species in Africa, Asia, and on some Pacific islands. The relatives of boas and pythons, most of which are also constrictors, include the iridescent sunbeam snakes and the aquatic file snakes. More >
