Hi Gregg, I meant as a push up. Something I could Identify in the field. This pic is a varanid push up, most every night when they retire, they block the entrances like this.
Its now something I will pay attention to in the field.
I also have pics of monitors, laying eggs and carrying them to a nest. One story and I took pics, was a lacy who was down in a nest, came out and starting digging strait down from above the nesting chamber. She then gingerly started picking at something. It was white, but I could not tell what it was. Then she flicked it out and away from the area. It was a dead mouse. She then laid a few eggs on the surface, and one by one, carried them, arranged them, and normally completed nesting.

A varanid push up.



She laid the the moved eggs behind her and moved them down about two feet inside the nesting burrow.
About "smart" I am totally on Davids side on this one, Yes, snakes are born with set of instincts. And are BASICALLY guided by them, On a scale of one to ten, instincts amount to a 3. Once they enter the world. They must learn and refine basic instincts to a real set of changing conditions. Instinct alone will not allow them to survive. There is far more too it. Take feeding, some years toads are available, and they occur over there. Other years lizards are available, they occur somewhere else. So take one of your day old neonates and put it outside. Do you really think its going to live? How does it know where to go? Ask more if interested.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]