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Reproduction is the cornerstone of all life, and the impact of the environment and conditions can lead to the development of some really unusual differences in the way organisms reproduce. There are more than 3,000 snake species on the planet. And while we can recognize that the mating process between snakes is generally not that different from the practices of most animals, there is a surprisingly wide gap in our biological understanding of a snake’s courtship, breeding and reproductive practices. This is in large part due to the secrecy and inscrutability of these animals. It wasn’t until 2010 that it was discovered that some snakes can reproduce asexually, and mating rituals between snakes can vary wildly, taking into account the size of the species and the scale of environments in which they live. But we still know a lot about how snakes mate, and that knowledge could tell us a lot about making these cold-blooded predators look less alien.
Pairing season for snakes
When mating season occurs for a snake species, it seems to depend almost entirely on the climate of their ecosystem. In areas with a conventional year made up of four distinct seasons, snakes will feel the urge to breed in the spring. This is often just after they wake up from fogging — the reptile equivalent of hibernation, which usually takes place in winter. It’s normal for mating to peak when sunlight comes out and give snakes more energy, but it makes sense for intergenerational survival as it ensures snakes are born in the summer when food and sunlight are most readily available.
In regions with more complicated climate patterns, there can be multiple mating seasons — and in tropical and some subtropical regions, mating can occur year-round instead of a traditional mating season. No matter what part of the world a snake is born in, mating habits are adapted to ensure one crucial thing above all: that the fry can develop sufficiently to survive the cold season well. Practical needs always prevail, of course. Both male and female prairie rattlesnakes in Wyoming are solitary and forage for themselves, but males have consistently proven to be more effective at employing efficient hunting methods. This allows them to focus less on looking for food and more on looking for a mate for the last part of the season.
The courtship rituals of snakes
Given their lack of limbs and blankly emotionless features, it can be hard to imagine which snake mating dances may look like except for a lot of slithering. The fact is that mating courtship is common in snakes, but both the process of recording the mating and the act of interpreting it can be difficult. Despite this, there is a growing body of research on the courtship rituals of various snake species and the recurring factors between them. This includes patterns suggesting that the behavior for territorial fighting between males and mating rituals is adopted side by side. Breeding snakes is not shaggy by nature, but the different movements and undulations seem to develop together and influence each other.
Despite this, there are clearly behaviors that most snakes evolved to distinguish body language of hostility from a mating proposition. Fighting males of most species will lift their heads to fight, but not when proposing a mate. Territoriality over mates is common in snakes, but not always bloody. rattlesnakes will fight without their canines in what amounts to a wrestling match when pursuing the same mating partner. Research on viper mating rituals is so extensive that researchers can identify a whole range of courtship gestures that are largely shared by this family. Various forms of nibbling, waving and stroking have been identified in most vipers. It is a collection of knowledge so advanced that they can even recognize uniquely specific behaviors. This is the case with the short-tailed viper, which females have been identified as quivering as part of their courtship gesture vocabulary.
Mating between snakes
Many species of snakes breed in a ball often known as a mating knot. This is a tactic used by the common garter snake, one of the most populous snakes in the United States and Canada. When female garter snakes awaken from winter in the spring, they do so a few days behind the males. That extra time allows the males to get in peak condition for a fierce battle to reproduce. When female garter snakes arrive in the light, they are overpowered by a crowd of aggressive and amorous snakes all trying to breed with her. It’s more than just a matter of who gets there first.
Both female and male snakes have a single hole called a cloaca that contains their reproductive organs and serves as the terminus for their digestive and urinary systems. The goal of the males is to access the female’s cloaca for breeding, but she generally has more control over the situation than the free-for-all appearance shows. Females can choose to open or close their cloaca, so while males clamber on her in a ball, she gets to decide who to mate with in the mating knot. Of course, how well the male snake fares against other males in the mating knot can have a dramatic effect on whether he can even get close enough to breed.
Green pythons are another species known to mate by forming a mating knot, showing that size and danger are no barrier to this method of mating. There is some evidence that this form of group breeding is an adaptation developed primarily in ecosystems with shorter seasons of heat and sunlight. Maximum competition between mates in such a short period of time only increases the viability of the fry surviving longer.
Not all snakes breed in a ball, although this one reptiles those are definitely not monogamous breeders partner for life. Females of species that do not form mating knots still release pheromones that attract males, but the first to reach her will often engage in non-lethal combat to prove their worth as a mate. This seems to be more common in ecosystems where there are fewer time constraints on a viable mating season and where snake populations tend to be lower or more dispersed. For the most part, snake species tend to be primarily concerned with polygyny – with males having multiple mates and females usually
ha
ving one.
The male reproductive organs of a snake include two penises. Each has its own reservoir of sperm. This allows them to successfully mate with two females in a short time. Male reproductive organs are otherwise hidden in the cloaca and only emerge in the open to mate. The actual breeding process can take anywhere from an hour to a day depending on the species, although the male leaves and plays no part in hatching eggs or rearing young.
Sexual Reproduction in Snakes
While most snakes lay eggs that then hatch into baby snakes, about three in ten species give birth to live young. Eggs are not viable in water, so partial water snakes will retreat to land to lay their eggs in a nest. Sand and grass are common sites for nests, and mothers may struggle to cover their eggs — a decision that can help protect them from predators and keep them warm enough to incubate properly. Even sea snakes — which live in the water and breed in the water — glide on land at least long enough to give birth.
Parenting responsibilities can vary wildly between species. While it was once believed that no snake species had parental instincts, python mothers are now known to care for their young for weeks after giving birth to a live child. And they do so at a high personal cost. Mother pythons do not eat anything during their pregnancy and can lose up to 40% of their body weight during this time. That alone can be deadly.
Asexual Reproduction in Snakes
The first proof that snakes can do that reproduce asexually emerged in 2010 when a female boa constrictor was observed using her DNA to fertilize her eggs without the need for male reproductive organs. Snakes are also not the only animals that reproduce asexually. sharks are also known to have the ability to reproduce asexually, and the list of snake species capable of these “virgin births” is growing.
We now know that species a copperheadpit viper, Waterhose, and cotton mouth can all reproduce asexually. In most species, this behavior is a rare alternative to sexual reproduction normally seen only when there is a shortage of potential mates. The Brahmin blind serpent is the only exception. Found everywhere Asia and Africa, all members of this species are females that naturally lay and fertilize eggs every breeding season.
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