It's egg laying time!

[Catherine]

Quote:I know very little about snakes so here are a couple of (probably very silly) questions.
Do the parents tend the eggs and then nurture the hatchlings or is it a case of the babies fending for themselves?
And how often can a snake lay eggs, is it annually or if something happens to the brood can they lay again as some birds do?

It varies. Boas give live birth. Some pythons stay with their eggs and watch over them. Corn snakes lay their eggs is a moist safe spot and then leave them. The mom needs to eat and nine weeks is too long to stay with eggs. Also the eggs would get damaged if mom came and went and she might attract predators. The eggs are safer on their own.

Snakes are born able to live alone. The mom gives them a lot of yolk in their eggs so they do not need to eat for the first two weeks. She chooses a safe place to lay the eggs. That is her gift to them. They don't do well with a lot of nurturing. I have had to learn to leave them in peace for the first two weeks. When they start shedding I can think about offering food. I start to handle them very slowly. It is the opposite of mammals than need to be handled early if they are going to be tame. Snakes gradually are ready to be handled and eat and generally stop being so timid. They are so vulnerable at birth. Pete's babies are not ready to go for months. Mikes of course grow like weeds.
The father does not get involved with the babies. They are very sweet with the females however.