Question:
I am writing a report on the Green Vine Snake from the
rain forest. I cannot seem to find any information on if this snake has
its babies alive or if they hatch from eggs. I also need to know about
how many babies this snake has and how long it takes before they are
born. I have found information on other vine snakes but not on this snake
from the rain forest.
Replies:
Hi Kody!
This kind of serpent lives in trees so it is called
arboreal.
It is viviparous (the babies are expelled not from
eggs, but just like mamals). The babies are
frequently born still surrounded by a membrane. Little
is known about its mating behaviour and season. Its
gestation period is assumed to be around 6 months. The
number of babies varies from 3 to 15 with extreme
cases which reach well into the 20's. Females are
larger than the males and the males have
proportionately longer tails.
By the time they are born they measure around 35 cm.
Maturity is reached at around three years at a length
of over 1.2m. The average length of this species is
1.5m reaching 1.8m occasionally.
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