A couple more new boa clutches and some after shed pics:

Congrats on the litters...

But in boas we call them litters clutches refer to eggs:oops:

Congrats! I love sunglows! They're gorgeous.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by boakid

Congrats on the litters...

But in boas we call them litters clutches refer to eggs:oops:

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Convention does state that "litter" is used for live bearing reptiles. Except that term is typically (originally?) used for mammals and though rudimentary placentas exist in some reptiles, they're not thought to be homologous to the mammalian placenta making the use of the term "litter" a layperson term arbitrarily used for live bearing animals. If we want to give it a phylogenetic context and use similar terms to convey homologous structures then perhaps a new term should be used for the viviparous reptiles. But since it seems that live birth has evolved multiple times throughout the squamates we'd need a new term for each occurrence. Or perhaps use a term that people will understand even if it makes no sense in a phylogenetic context. That said any term to convey a large mass of neonates were excreted from the cloaca of this boa would work: brood, litter, or clutch (A definition for clutch is a bunch or group. Commonly it used for a group of eggs incubated at one time regardless of whether that incubation is external or internal). :)

So using them interchangeably isn't going to set a chain of events that lead to the destruction of society as we know it. Perhaps with the next set of pictures I'll use the term brood. Or exclaim that amniotic fluid and neonates were spilled throughout the cage. :)

Nice babies!
Congrats on the litters!

Wow that looks like a huge mess :oops: But the babies really are very beautiful :)

That post cracked me up Joey, thanks for the clarification and taking the time to post all them pictures - especially enjoyed the field shots!