Most reptiles reproduce by laying eggs, but did you know that a handful of reptiles actually give birth to live young?
Want to learn more about which species don’t lay eggs? Then this is the blog article for you!
Explanation of Terms
In order to discuss laying eggs versus giving live birth, you’ll need to know some terms that explain the three types of reptile births.
Most snakes and lizards are oviparous, which means that the animal lays eggs in order to reproduce. Once the eggs have been deposited, they need to be incubated or kept warm and safe until the hatchlings are ready to emerge.
When a reptile gives birth to a baby without the use of an egg, it is termed viviparous. This means that the animal nourishes its young internally through a placenta and yolk sac. This is the rarest reptile birthing method.
This is a female Jackson’s Chameleon (Chamaeleo jacksonii). Female Jackson’s are ovoviviparous and give birth to fully formed babies.
Boa constrictors and green anacondas are two examples of snakes that are viviparous.
Finally, if a reptile develops eggs inside its body but still gives birth to babies instead of laying the eggs, this is called being ovoviviparous. Essentially, the female keeps the remnants of the eggs inside her while the fully formed babies emerge, making it seem as though the babies were true “live” births.
An example of an ovoviviparous reptile is the rattlesnake. If you were to x-ray a gravid female rattlesnake, you would be able to see both the skeletons of the babies and the outlines of the eggs.
Which Snakes Give Live Birth?
As previously discussed, both ovoviviparous and viviparous reptiles birth fully formed, functional babies.
Most vipers and all rattlesnakes fall into this category. The Boidae family, which includes boa constrictors and other boa snakes, are viviparous and therefore don’t produce eggs to insulate their babies at any time. The same is true of green anacondas.
Pictured is a Dumeril’s Boa (Boa dumerili). As a member of the boa family, this snake does not lay eggs to reproduce.
Most sea snakes also give birth to live young. Baby sea snakes are born directly into the ocean! The only exception to this is the genus Laticauda. The females of this sea snake species emerge from the ocean and lay eggs on land, making them oviparous.
It’s interesting to note that all species of snakes that give birth to live young offer no parenting to their babies. Viviparous and ovoviviparous infant snakes are on their own from the instant they are born. It’s said this is why baby rattlesnakes are born with a full “venom tank” and are ready to bite from day one.
Which Lizards Give Live Birth?
Interestingly enough, there is a species of lizard called the Viviparous Lizard (Zootoca vivipara) that is fully viviparous – go figure. This lizard is found in Europe and Asia and is the only species in the genus Zootoca.
Many species of skinks, including the very popular Blue Tongue Skink (Tiliqua sp.) give birth to live young. Blueys actually have a very complex placental mechanism that delivers oxygen to the developing fetus and carries carbon dioxide away. However, all reptiles, whether they are born live or hatch out of eggs are nourished through a yolk sac. This is still true of the blue tongue skink.
Baby blue tongue skinks (Tiliqua sp.) are born fully formed and ready to take on the world.
Gravid Jackson’s chameleons are ovoviviparous and all species of Jackson’s give live birth. A female Jackson’s chameleon will typically birth between twenty to thirty babies per brood, although the Mt. Meru Jackson’s Chameleon, which is the smallest of the Jackson’s chameleons, will typically have fewer than twenty babies at a time.
Conclusion – Reptiles and Live Birth
Most lizards and snakes are oviparous and lay eggs to reproduce. However, there are both lizards and snakes that bear live young.
The reptiles that do in fact give live birth are pretty well-known amongst reptile hobbyists and enthusiasts. And although we might not have listed every individual species on our lists above, we did mention general groupings and families that are known to give live birth. So, if your reptile in question is not described above, then it’s probably safe to assume that it reproduces by laying eggs.
Are you in the market for a colorful, mid-size snake with a reasonable temperament? Then we think a red tail green rat snake might be for you.
Red tail green rat snakes are sleek and limber snakes.
As its name suggests, the red tail green rat snake sometimes has a red tail. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes the tail only has a slight hint of a red tint to it and sometimes it’s not even red at all. The body of the snake itself is usually a brilliant green color, but variation exists and some snakes are grey, silver, or brown.
Green rat snakes will grow to be anywhere from sixty to seventy inches long and are considered mid-size snakes by reptile hobbyists, even though they are actually the largest species of rat snake. Because they are arboreal, their bodies are very limber and strong to enable them to navigate tree branches.
Red Tail Green Rat Snake Housing
An enclosure that is at least 36 inches long and 30 inches tall is recommended for a single green tree rat snake. Because they are semi-arboreal, a green tree rat snake’s home will require things to climb on such as wooden branches and either real or fake foliage.
As far as flooring is concerned, we recommend a traditional snake substrate such as aspen shavings or coconut fiber. A good substrate for a green rat snake is something that holds moisture but doesn’t remain too wet. Just like any other snake species, you’ll want to be sure that there is adequate moisture inside the snake’s home, but also avoid keeping things too wet as this could foster respiratory infections. Choosing a good substrate is the first step to respiratory health.
As this photo shows, the red tail green rat snake does not always have a bright red tail.
Cage décor for red tail green rat snakes need not be elaborate, although there are two things that you want to be sure not to exclude. The first item is a large water dish. Humidity is important when keeping reptiles of all species and water dishes help to maintain proper moisture levels. We also want to recommend that some type of ground-level hide be placed in the cage, even if your snake does spend a lot of time climbing. Replaceable toilet paper rolls, bark hide spaces from pet stores, and even homemade hideouts are all acceptable options.
The temperature in your green tail rat snake’s enclosure should stay in the range of 77 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use reptile heat tape, heating pads, or lamps to maintain this temperature. It’s also wise to invest in a thermometer so you can monitor this closely and make sure it doesn’t fluctuate too much.
Red Tail Green Rat Snake Feeding
Although red tail green rat snakes eat lots of small animals in the wild, they will take to eating frozen/thawed mice pretty quickly, even if your pet snake happens to not be a captive bred animal. It might take some training, but green rat snakes will readily accept pre-killed food. We recommend feeding around every seven to ten days for adults and bi-weekly for hatchlings.
Red tail green rat snakes are arboreal, so be sure to provide them with a habitat that accommodates this behavior.
Red Tail Green Rat Snake Temperament
While red tail green rat snakes are not known for being particularly docile, they are also not known for being on the defensive or aggressive side. We’ve found that if you handle your green rat snake regularly and teach it to associate time outside the cage being handled with good things, it will take to human interaction quite well.
Be calm and confident when handling your red tail green rat snake and it will respond to you well.
As far as handling is concerned, the only word of advice we have when it comes to picking up your green rat snake is to be wary when you first remove it from its cage. Like many snake species, it’s not uncommon for a green rat snake to be a bit nervous and fidgety, which can translate to a bad experience for both owner and animal if caution is not exercised. Just be calm and confident with your snake and it will cooperate with you.
Conclusion
Red tail green rat snakes make exceptional and rewarding pets. We recommend them for hobbyists with moderate levels of experience due to their habitat requirements and somewhat flighty nature.
Think you’re ready to purchase a red tail green rat snake of your own? Backwater Reptiles has got you covered!
We sell some pretty fascinating and bizarre animals at Backwater Reptiles.
In this article, we’ll talk about our favorite five weirdest reptiles and amphibians and discuss everything from strange physical appearances to peculiar adaptations.
Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos)
The desert horned lizard AKA the horned toad is definitely an interesting little lizard. Due to its flat body, squat face, and spiked “crown,” the horned lizard certainly has a distinct physical appearance.
But, this seemingly ordinary lizard is known for a far more macabre behavior. When a horned lizard feels threatened, it can actually squirt a stream of blood out of its eyes up to a distance of five feet! This serves to surprise and disgust predators and hopefully keep the horned lizard from being eaten.
Don’t upset a desert horned lizard…otherwise, it might squirt blood at you!
Although it might seem like a cool trick to get your pet horned lizard to squirt blood from its eyes, we definitely don’t recommend trying it. This is because it means you must put the lizard under extreme stress as this behavior is sort of a last ditch effort by the lizard to save its own life.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why the Surinam toad makes our list of strange reptiles and amphibians. In fact, you can tell just by looking at this frog that it is unusual.
As far as physical appearance is concerned, the Surinam toad is extremely flat with beady little eyes and it resembles a leaf. It also has a strange triangular-shaped head and moves about in a very awkward fashion when it’s out of the water.
Aside from its bizarre physical appearance, the Surinam toad sprouts fully formed froglets from its back!
In addition to looking very outlandish, the Surinam toad has some bizarre reproductive habits. Rather than laying eggs like most amphibians, the Surinam toad hatches its babies from the skin in its back!
After a series of elaborate mating dances, the female winds up with fertilized embryos that develop into a honeycomb shape on her back. Eventually, fully formed froglets will hatch from the honeycombed skin.
Backwater Reptiles has strange-looking Surinam toads for sale.
Toad Head Agama (Phrynocephalus mystaceus)
These lizards appear pretty normal at first glance. They resemble a cross between a bearded dragon and a horned lizard with pug-like faces.
However, if you make a toad head agama angry, they unfold skin flaps on the sides of their head to appear threatening. The result is reminiscent of something out of the movie “Predator.”
This toad head agama is quite relaxed, but you can see the flaps on the side of its head that open up to create quite the show when this lizard gets upset.
We think this bizarre defense mechanism alone gives good reason for these lizards to make our list of weirdest adaptations.
Want your own “Predator” agama? Backwater Reptiles sells healthy toad head agamas.
Mozambique Rain Frog (Breviceps mossambicus)
We’ve put the Mozambique rain frog on our list of weirdest reptiles and amphibians for two reasons.
First of all, this is one grumpy looking frog. Not only is it squat, and flat-faced with a balloon-like body, but its feet point inwards which we think makes it resemble a bulldog. When it walks, the rain frog is pigeon-toed and the resulting waddle is quite comical.
Squat, grumpy, and squeaky – that’s the Mozambique rain frog in a nutshell.
Aside from being physically awkward, rain frogs don’t have a traditional frog’s voice. In other words, instead of croaking, rain frogs emit a high pitched squeak or squeal akin to that of a kitten mewling for its mother. It can be quite humorous to listen to, so long as the reason for the frog’s cry is not distress.
Even though physically, the egg eating snake appears very ordinary, it possesses an adaptation that is just bizarre enough to land it on our list.
As its name suggests, the egg eating snake does in fact, consume eggs for meals. Unlike “traditional” snakes which eat mostly small rodents, the egg eating snake feeds exclusively on eggs.
Egg eating snakes only consume whole eggs as food.
These species of snakes swallow eggs whole, which is quite a feat in our opinion. Once the egg has been swallowed, the snake uses muscles and bony protrusions on its spine to crush the egg and suck out the liquid inside. The final step is regurgitating the crushed egg shell after the egg’s insides have been swallowed.
Quite a strange way to eat, don’t you think?
If you’re ready to welcome an egg eating snake into your home, you can purchase one from Backwater Reptiles.
Conclusion
Each of the animals on this list possesses at least one unique or strange behavior or adaptation that we find endearing. We also think each of these critters make good pets!
You might have heard that snakes have unpredictable temperaments. Perhaps this notion is preventing you from getting a pet snake of your own? Well, while it is true that certain species are prone to aggressiveness, there are many species that are generally docile and take to human handling quite well.
We’ve had tons of experience handling thousands of different snakes, from small species to true giants. So, in this blog article, we’re going to list the top four most docile pet snakes based upon decades of dealing with reptiles.
All of the below species are of course non-venomous.
Ball Python (Python regius)
Most snake enthusiasts can’t get enough of ball pythons. In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that ball pythons are the friendliest, most easy-going snake species we’ve had the pleasure of working with daily.
This is a standard ball python, but they are bred to be many different colors. They’re one of the most docile snakes you’ll ever find.
Most ball pythons are pleased to be taken out of their enclosure and held. They’ll often curl up into little “snake balls” and just sit comfortably in your hands, thus their name. They’re real sweethearts as far as snakes are concerned.
Another great trait of ball pythons is that because they are so readily available as captive bred animals, they rarely suffer from health problems and are parasite free. Let’s not forget to mention that captive breeding efforts also produce a multitude of beautiful color morphs and unique patterns.
Ball pythons are easy to keep too. There are endless quality care sheets available on the Internet, but suffice it to say, they require a water dish, hide spot, some bedding (we use aspen mulch), and a heat source.
If you’re wondering exactly how to heat them, we use a simple low wattage heat pad underneath about a third of the enclosure. This allows your pet snake to thermoregulate on its own. In other words, it allows your snake to get warm, or cool down, as it sees fit.
Heat is very important for pet snakes because without sufficient heat, they can’t digest their food properly and will either refuse to eat, or will regurgitate when they do attempt to eat. We aim for a surface temperature of the floor of the warm area inside the enclosure of 90F-95F. You can use an inexpensive temp gun to easily determine the surface temperature.
If you want a “cuddly” snake, Backwater Reptiles has many ball python morphs for sale. These are perhaps the most popular pet snakes in the world, and for good reason.
Kenyan Sand Boa (Eryx c. loveridgei)
We highly recommend Kenyan sand boas (AKA East African sand boas) as pet snakes because of their small, manageable size. Sand boas only get to be about two feet long at their biggest and rarely surpass the diameter of a jumbo-size Sharpie marker.
They have relatively long life spans too, averaging 20 years, with reports of some living beyond the age of 30! This means you’ll potentially have your pet reptile’s companionship for decades.
This is a black and white Kenyan sand boa. This species makes an excellent pet snake.
Kenyan sand boas are stocky, sturdy little snakes with small heads and short tails. Like ball pythons, they are also available in a variety of color morphs.
Sand Boas are extremely passive snakes that prefer to spend most of their time hiding underground or burrowed underground. It’s important that you provide your Kenyan sand boa with an appropriate substrate. Most people assume sand is the best substrate, and while sand is fine, you can also use coconut fiber, aspen bedding, and even newspaper.
These boas are almost always captive bred, which means you’re starting with a clean slate, so-to-speak. Their range in the wild is very extensive, from Africa to the Middle East. They’ve even been found at elevations nearly a mile high.
Kenyan sand boas can be fed thawed pinkie mice as babies, then more appropriately sized thawed mice as they mature. In the wild, they’ve been known to even eat lizards and small birds. They burrow into the substrate and lay-in-wait for prey items. These are constrictor snakes.
If you want a small, friendly snake, Backwater Reptiles has Kenyan sand boas available today and ready to ship immediately. If you get a pair, you may even get babies! These snakes are live-bearing, meaning they don’t lay eggs, they give birth to living baby snakes.
California King Snake (Lampropeltis g. californiae)
King snakes can make absolutely excellent pets and are readily available both through breeders and at pet stores. You can even capture them in the wild within the U.S., but because captive bred animals are always healthier and tamer, we highly recommend purchasing one from a reputable source.
King snakes can be a bit on the larger side. Most will be around three to four feet long, but they can get up to six feet long in some instances. Although, please note that they aren’t thick snakes, so while their length can be long, they never achieve a size that’s challenging to manage. Their life span in captivity can exceed 20 years.
This is a collage of various pet king snake morphs. Notice the extreme variance in color and patterns.
Although the more common pet king snake morphs will be shades of black and white, there are many interesting colors available. In our opinion, the most unique are the lavender morphs, which have purple tones in their skin.
If you want to learn more about king snake morphs, feel free to check out an article we wrote a while back that goes into detail about the most popular king snake morphs.
Interestingly, California king snakes are also found in Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Mexico, so they’ve got a pretty extensive range.
King snakes are diurnal, which means they’re active during the day. However, in the wild they often lay on blacktop roads at nighttime to absorb the heat from the day. This of course can pose a problem if the road is active.
I recall driving home from dinner one warm evening in the Fall. We were turning into our neighborhood and my wife noticed a large snake laying on the road. I swerved to avoid it, and pulled over to take a look.
It was a beautiful California king snake, around five-feet in length, and looked to be in good shape. In other words, it hadn’t been run over. I coaxed it off of the road, and it slithered off into the bushes.
We’ve also seen a pair of king snakes mating on a warm road. They looked like two intertwined ropes rolling across the blacktop. It was definitely a sight to behold.
In the wild, these snakes are actually known to eat baby turtles, birds, eggs, frogs, lizards, rodents, and…other snakes. Yep, king snakes are notorious snake-eaters.
In fact, California king snakes are natural Rattlesnake predators. They’ll attack and consume large rattlers, despite being bitten. The reason? They have an extreme tolerance to Rattlesnake venom.
We’ve put king snakes on our list of most docile snakes because while they can be squirrelly as hatchlings, they rarely bite or strike at people intentionally. They are speedy, but once you get them out of their enclosure and start handling them, they interact well with people.
If you are interested in a pet king snake, Backwater Reptiles sells healthy, captive bred hatchlings and adults of all types.
Corn Snake (Elaphe g. guttata)
Corn snakes are just as readily available in the reptile market as king snakes are, and probably more so. In fact, corn snakes and king snakes have a lot in common. Both species have similar care requirements, both grow to be about the same size, and both can be purchased in a seemingly endless number of morphs.
This photo depicts various morphs of some of our hatchling corn snakes. This species can make an exceptional pet snake.
As far as temperament is concerned, corn snakes are relatively docile. Hatchlings are known for being a bit nippy, but as they mature and get used to being handled, they become much more tame.
It should be noted that although hatchlings might strike at first, their bites can’t really break the skin or hurt a person because their mouths and teeth are so tiny. It’s actually pretty cute!
Corn snakes are relatiely easy to breed, and females can lay anywhere from 10-30 eggs. The incubation period is quite short, right around two months. Babies are beautiful and active.
This species was given its name because their bellies resemble the colors of Indian corn. Their a diurnal species just like the King snakes, and they are known to climb trees regularly.
Backwater Reptiles sells a variety of corn snake morphs ranging from albino to crimson.
Conclusion – The Most Docile Pet Snakes
If you want a snake that’s easy to care for with a laid back personality, we highly recommend any of the above listed species on our list of the most docile pet snakes. You really can’t go wrong with any of them!
Are you thinking of getting your child a pet snake? Are you unsure which species would do well with children? Well, look no further – this article was created specifically to list the top four species of pet snakes for kids.
1. Ball Python (Python regius)
Ball pythons are at the top of our list for a few reasons, but mainly because they have been captive bred for many generations and are essentially the most popular pet snakes on the market. Captive breeding produces snakes that are not only healthier and more beautiful, but far more docile as well. In fact, captive bred ball pythons rarely bite or strike.
Ball pythons are readily available pet snakes with a long history of healthy captive breeding. We highly recommend them for kids.
Hatchling ball pythons are about 10 inches long and will mature into snakes that can be up to five feet long, although most will average three feet long. If properly cared for, your ball python can live up to 30 years.
In general, ball pythons are somewhat thick snakes with hefty bodies, despite their relatively small size. We think this is great for kids because children can move quickly around them and the snake will not get upset. In fact, unless they are preparing to strike at feeding time, your ball python’s movements should be slow and calculated.
2. Corn Snake (Elaphe g. guttata)
Like ball pythons, corn snakes are readily available at pet stores and through breeders. They have been bred long enough in captivity to be extremely healthy and hardy snakes that are born to be many different colors or morphs. If your child wants a purple, red, or even black and white snake, there’s a morph out there that will make him or her happy.
This is an albino corn snake hatchling. This snake can grow to be five to six feet long if properly cared for.
Corn snakes are medium-sized snakes and will require a medium-sized enclosure once they are grown. They are small enough as hatchlings to be kept in a home as small as a shoe box, but once they do grow up, they are still a size that a child could handle them without being intimidated.
If you want to educate your child about reptile breeding, corn snakes can give great lessons on genealogy as well as reproductive habits of reptiles. They procreate easily in captivity and also make excellent classroom pets.
3. King Snake (Lampropeltis g. californiae)
King snakes are very common throughout the U.S. in the wild. However, because these snakes have been bred successfully in captivity for so long, we recommend purchasing one through a breeder since it will be healthier and friendlier.
Like corn snakes and ball pythons, king snakes are available in a seemingly endless number of morphs or color variations. Their patterns will vary greatly and you can obtain a snake with patterns and colors as common or rare as you’d like.
This is a “normal” morph California king snake. It has not been bred to express any special coloring or patterns.
King snakes can grow rather large, although it will take many years for them to reach their full potential. Hatchlings will be eight to twelve inches long and adults can reach more than six feet in length, although three to four feet is a far more common size. A king snake’s lifespan can surpass twenty years!
Mature king snakes should be kept in a 20 gallon enclosure (at the least), but babies are perfectly content in a shoe box. Whatever type of home you provide your king snake, we highly recommend that it has a secure lid since king snakes can be escape artists.
4. Kenyan Sand Boa (Eryx c. loveridgei)
Kenyan San Boas are also known as East African Sand Boas, but both names refer to the same animal. These snakes are very round with heavy bodies and relatively small heads. They have extremely smooth scales and are slow-moving, which we think makes them wonderful snakes for children to handle.
In addition to being available in many morphs like all the other snakes on our list, Kenyan sand boas are small snakes with simple care requirements. Even the largest sand boa will not usually surpass two feet in length and their cage need not be larger than a ten gallon tank.
Kenyan sand boas are small snakes with simple care requirements.
You can also keep Kenyan sand boas communally, so long as two males are not housed in the same enclosure. In other words, two female boas cohabitating is fine, and a male and female boa will also do fine together.
5. Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis)
Garter snakes are great for kids because they’re harmless, a very manageable size, slow, and easy to keep and feed. Growing up a child in the Midwest, I used to catch “Garters” in the woods and on prairies with my good friend. The best place to find them was under a rotting log, tire, or plywood.
They usually only reach 24″-36″ or thereabouts, although once in a while they’re a little bigger. Garter snakes probably have the largest distribution of any snake in the United States, and are found in every single state except Alaska and Hawaii.
Garter snakes are a perennial favorite snake for children.
This species can comfortably be kept in a 10 or 20-gallon tank with a water dish, hide spot, and heat pad (although some believe heat is optional). They can have long lifespans.
These snakes are carnivores but can be fed crickets, nightcrawlers, slugs, amphibians, minnows, and baby mice (called “pinkies”).
One piece of trivia is that many people think these snakes are called “Gardner” snakes, but that’s incorrect. The correct word is “Garter.”
Snakes for kids – Conclusion
Each of the snakes on this list has very simple care requirements. All you really need to keep any of these species happy is a modest-sized enclosure, a simple heat source, and a water dish. Other cage accessories are optional.
We also feel that each of these snake species has a good history of captive breeding which makes them all healthy, tamer snake species overall. Over many years, we’ve also found that the above listed species are very hesitant to strike (if ever), which is another reason we consider them the absolute best pet snakes for kids.
If you’re interested in purchasing a snake for a child, we’ve got all of the above species listed on our snakes landing page.
