Livebearing snake question

ChristinaM · 04-19-04, 07:57 PM

Ok, I got talking to someone about this.

When a livebearing snake is gravid, such as a BCI.......can you see the babies moving like you can on humans/cats/dogs?

Thx.

Stockwell · 04-19-04, 11:53 PM

No, not really, there is no observable movement that I have ever detected.
It's probably because the entire body is normally folded fairly tightly in half inside thin shelled sacks, with little free space.
I guess this isn't far off the condition some mammals are in within Amniotic sacks, but for some reason pre born snakes don't move around much. I think the body shape, and position has something to do with imobilizing them

Occasionally incubating eggs can be seen to move toward the last stage of developement. Movement is often detected when candling eggs that are only a few weeks from hatching

ChristinaM · 04-20-04, 07:37 AM

Thanks Roy.

Can always count on you for an excellent answer. appreciate it.

Simon · 04-20-04, 07:41 AM

See?!?!
I told you!
I bet that Roy knows the answer~
now that we both know...lets just hope that the albino rosy is pregnant!!
haha

ChristinaM · 04-20-04, 07:42 AM

ha ha ha

I've got my fingers crossed for ya

rwg · 04-20-04, 11:27 AM

I bet it has a lot to do with the relative size of mom and babies. A human baby is something like 5% the size of it's mom...it has the size and strength to make visible movements against the mom's abdomen. How big is a bci or bcc baby relative to it's mom? Given that there can be dozens I suspect it's much smaller than 5%.

That's just a guess on my part.

rg

rg

BOAS_N_PYTHONS · 04-20-04, 11:44 AM

CHRISTINA M:

That would be some sight to watch 20 plus babies move a boa' s belly, look like a alien movie, indeed.

But no you can not see any movement like Roy said.

Cya...

Tony

Stockwell · 04-20-04, 12:38 PM

rwg. it aint that simple.. Baby rosies are huge and baby Eryx johnii, the Indian sand boa, are almost half the size of the mother, and still, they don't produce any visible movement.
I think mammals are basically floating with space around them to move...Herps engulf the entire egg sack prior to partuition and are essentially "bound up"