Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This goes with the really long thread below. When I was in Arizona a few years ago we went to Kartchner caveren and as I remeber it was a very warm wet cave. There could be many small caves in Texas that have the same micro climates suitable for eggs to incubate and snakes to live in.

Most of the eggs I find at the ranch are under very large rocks. My hunch is that Greybands lay their eggs under big boulders as they would trap moisture coming up from underground. The boulder would also keep a somewhat steady temperature.

I assume that there is a way for a snake to find close to the exact temperature they are looking for in nature to suit their needs. If they have no food they retreat deeper to cool down. The cooler the eggs incubate the longer they take to hatch and my hunch is that the Sub-Oc,s lay their eggs farther underground sometimes as neonates with fresh umbilical scars can be found in spring indicating a much retarded development within the egg.

And yes I am sure there are plenty of warm damp areas in the desert as well as cool wet, hot and dry and last but not least cold and dry. After all cold blooded is a misnomer (variable blooded) is the reality as I take body temp readings from my coachwhips at over 100F on a regular bases. As frank Retis pointed out a lot of his monitors maintain a body temperature similar to that of birds as they are found around the equator.

The reality is that just like Rosy Boas having a different color from mountain to mountain within a population the nesting behavior is most likely adapted to the area in question as well as individual evolutionary traits.

By the way Hi Keith and no your E-mails do not get through………Bill
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"Life without risk is to merely exist."

ectothermic....the body heat is derived from the environment.....and can be cotrolled by behavior such as basking....like you have pointed out a reptile's body temp can be well over a 100...

How was the party?
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"Life without risk is to merely exist."

what are you doing up???....i'm going in at 6am for double knee replacement....i'm getting a little scart....

OUCH, I will drink a cold one for you and colate all the data from the forum for you...........Bill
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"Life without risk is to merely exist."

Hope all goes well for you. (Tom)

Hey Bob...hopefully after your surgery, you'll be running up those cuts naked again....will maybe hopefully NOT!