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Snakes that lay their eggs outside of their bodies are known as oviparous. Those that retain them are called ovoviviparous. Ovoviviparous snakes appear to give birth to live young, but they actually don't -- although there are those who do, known as viviparous snakes.

While ovoviviparous snakes lay eggs, just like their oviparous counterparts, the mother snake simply keeps those eggs within her body while they incubate. Usually ovoviviparous species, such as some garter snakes and pit vipers, live in cooler climates where it would be harder for the mother snake to properly brood the eggs to keep them warm enough to hatch. By keeping them inside, she can maintain them at a comfortable temperature. Unlike viviparous species, there is no transfer of fluids between mother and babies, because they each feed on the substances contained in their individual eggs. Babies emerge from the mother when they hatch from their eggs, giving them the appearance of "live" births.

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Did you know that there are some snakes such as rattlesnakes, Russell’s vipers and boas that do not lay eggs? They give birth to baby snakes. In other words, the babies develop in their mother snake before emerging into this world. These snakes may be viviparous (no egg at any stage of development) or ovoviviparous (eggs hatched within the mother’s body). The baby snakes are independent from day one.

When baby snakes are born live, as is the case with viviparous and ovoviviparous species, they are completely on their own from day one! There is no parental protection in the snake world. The babies go off on their own shortly after birth, and must fend for themselves. That is why baby rattlesnakes are born "fully loaded" with fangs and venom.

Sea snakes are a mixed lot. They are members of Hydrophiinae, a subfamily of the Elapidae family that also includes the venomous cobras, adders and mambas. Most of the sea snake species give birth to live young, which means the babies are born alive in the water. But there is one genus, Laticauda, which is oviparous. The female members of this particular genus lay eggs on land, as opposed to giving live birth like the other sea snakes.

Picture Credit : Google