Viviparity in snakes

[Mendel's Balls]

Does anyone know which snake taxons or species demonstrate viviparity or the ability to give birth to live young that have been nourished by the female's body?

(As opposed to ovoviviparity, which is a female retaining eggs and allowing them to hatch inside her or laying them just before they are ready to hatch....)

[Mendel's Balls]

Snakes that give birth to live , anyone?

[stangs13]

Boas? The have live birth, but i don't know if the eggs hatch inside of them though.

[starmom]

Boas give birth to live young. Is this what you mean?

[JLC]

I've never heard of any snake species being viviparous...but a quick google of "viviparous snakes" brings up a number of different articles that offer lists and discussions.....many of which don't come across as particularly credible (confusing ovoviviparity with viviparity), but there might be some good ones in there that I don't have time to look for right now.

[Mendel's Balls]

I've never heard of any snake species being viviparous...but a quick google of "viviparous snakes" brings up a number of different articles that offer lists and discussions.....many of which don't come across as particularly credible (confusing ovoviviparity with viviparity), but there might be some good ones in there that I don't have time to look for right now.

I found a similar problem......keep me posted if you find anything good.

~Mike

[icygirl]

Boas? The have live birth, but i don't know if the eggs hatch inside of them though.

Boas are ovoviviparous. I found this site that says that snakes can only be oviparous or ovoviviparous. I personally have never heard of a true viviparous snake.

EDIT: A more reliable source, thank God! Bottom of left column.

[JoMo]

You got it

[Mendel's Balls]

Boas are ovoviviparous. I found this site that says that snakes can only be oviparous or ovoviviparous. I personally have never heard of a true viviparous snake.

EDIT: A more reliable source, thank God! Bottom of left column.

Good find on google books.

Here's another take on the question from a more scientifically focused herpetological forum.

http://www.venomdoc.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4043

"Virginia striatula is to my knowledge the only snake where it has been demonstrated that nutrients are transferred over the placenta. This species is mainly lecitotrop[h]ic though (i.e. the main part of the nutrients are transferred from the yolk). There are other species where ions and gases but no nutrients are transferred to the foetus from the mother.

However, I suspect that further research will reveal more species where placental transfer of nutrients occurs. Among lizards there are several speices that are mainly placentotrophic (i.e. the main part of the nutrients are transferred though the placenta rather than from the yolk)."