Green Garden Snake Eggs
Unlike most other snakes the garter snake doesnt lay eggs.
Green garden snake eggs. The garter snakes thamnophis belong to the collective category of harmless effectively non venomous north american snakes also often referred to as garden snakes. Garter snakes hibernate in winter using large rocks or burrows of other mammals as cover. Many species and subspecies range across much of the continent. By geoff stein palmbob may 24 2011.
How many eggs does a garter snake lay. Most snakes lay eggs and do not give birth to live young. Snakes usually lay their eggs in sand or soil which helps incubate the eggs and then most species of snakes will leave and not watch over the nest after laying the eggs. Needless to say some snake species are extremely dangerous and.
Snakes in the garden the good the bad and the ugly. Owing to the low toxicity of their venom garter snakes are usually harmless to humans. The generalities in this article pertain only to snakes in north america and. If you happen to spot snake eggs in your garden you might want to get an expert opinion from a professional wildlife expert.
The garden snake moniker stems from how frequently garter snakes are found in gardens and yards where they prosper amid moist soil conditions and rich food. The purpose of this article is to introduce the north american reader to snakes they are most likely to encounter in their gardens and help them to recognize which are friendly and which should be left alone. It gives birth to live young. The largest snakes in the world can even eat pigs deer monkey and livestock.
Daniel nelson on january 16 2018. The eggs of snakes can be identified by a number of different characteristics including the appearance hardness and shape of the eggs. These snakes swallow their food whole. All garter snakes vipers and boas bear live young.
She lays them and then abandons them unless she is a cobra or a python. The female lays the eggs underground in loose soil or sand which acts as a natural incubator. Dont feel dejected if you have been searching high and low for eastern garter snake thamnophis sirtalis eggs. The mating period of garter snakes is from late march to early may.
In total there are three main mechanisms of embryonic development in snakes. Over 50 can be born at one time measuring in length from 5 to 9 inches. Once mating between the female and male snake occurs the gestation period can last from as little as 2 months in some species for as long as 9 months in others. Depending on the species a female snake can lay anywhere from two eggs to one hundred in a clutch.
After this period giving birth to offspring can occur in two main ways laying eggs or giving birth to live young. Lacking the climbing skills of. Garter snakes known sometimes as garden snakes typically eat small. If the prey is small it is immediately swallowed alive.
Unlike most snakes thamnophis sirtalis is an ovoviviparous creature. You wont find any. Snakes eat a variety of things including insects frogs gophers small rodents amphibians earthworms eggs slugs birds mice chipmunks and other small animals. If the prey is large the garden snake unhinges its jaws to ease swallowing.
With this ability the garden snake can swallow a wide variety of prey. Female garter snakes bear live babies.