List of Snakes That Give Live Birth

Snakes That Give Live Birth Instead of Laying Eggs

Most people assume all snakes lay eggs, but that is not true. About 30 percent of snake species give live birth, meaning they carry their developing young inside their body and deliver fully formed baby snakes. This reproductive strategy is called viviparity (true live birth) or ovoviviparity (eggs develop and hatch inside the mother). Either way, the result is the same: live baby snakes rather than eggs.

Why Do Some Snakes Give Live Birth?

Live birth in snakes evolved as an adaptation to colder environments. When temperatures are too cold for eggs to develop properly in the ground, carrying the developing young inside the body allows the mother to regulate their temperature by basking in the sun. This is why a high percentage of live bearing snake species are found in cooler climates or at higher elevations where egg incubation would be unreliable.

Aquatic and semi aquatic snakes also tend to give live birth since laying eggs in or near water would be impractical. Sea snakes, for example, are almost all live bearers because they spend their entire lives in the ocean and never come to land to nest.

Popular Pet Snakes That Give Live Birth

Boa Constrictors

Boa Constrictors are one of the best known live bearing snakes. Females carry their developing young for about 100 to 120 days and give birth to 10 to 65 babies per litter depending on the species and size of the mother. Red Tail Boas, Rosy Boas, and Rainbow Boas are all popular pet species that reproduce this way.

Garter Snakes

Common Garter Snakes give live birth and are one of the most widespread snakes in North America. They can have impressively large litters, sometimes birthing 20 to 40 babies at once. Garter snakes are popular beginner pets due to their small size, easy care requirements, and docile nature.

Green Tree Pythons

Wait, actually Green Tree Pythons are egg layers. This is an important distinction. Not all boas and pythons follow the same reproductive strategy. All boas give live birth, but all pythons lay eggs. This is one of the key biological differences between the two families.

Anacondas

Green Anacondas and Yellow Anacondas are live bearers. As members of the boa family, they carry their young internally. Green Anacondas can give birth to 20 to 40 babies per litter, and the newborns are already about 2 feet long. While not common pets (Green Anacondas can reach over 20 feet), some experienced keepers do work with smaller anaconda species.

Wild Snakes That Give Live Birth

Rattlesnakes

All rattlesnake species give live birth. This makes sense given that many rattlesnakes live in environments with cool nights and variable temperatures where buried eggs might not survive. A female rattlesnake typically gives birth to 4 to 12 young, depending on the species. The babies are born with a single button on their tail and are venomous from birth.

Copperheads

Copperhead snakes are live bearers, typically giving birth to 4 to 8 babies in late summer or early fall. The babies are born with yellow or green tail tips that they use as lures to attract small prey like frogs and lizards. Like all pit vipers, copperhead babies are venomous from the moment they are born.

Water Moccasins (Cottonmouths)

Cottonmouths are another pit viper that gives live birth. They typically have litters of 6 to 8 babies. As semi aquatic snakes, live birth is an advantage since they live near water where finding suitable egg laying sites would be difficult.

Sea Snakes

Nearly all sea snakes give live birth, which is essential for their fully aquatic lifestyle. They cannot come to land to lay eggs, so the babies develop inside the mother and are born directly into the ocean. Sea snake litters are usually small, with most species producing 2 to 9 young.

The Quick Rule of Thumb

A simple way to remember which snakes give live birth: all boas are live bearers, all pythons lay eggs, and all pit vipers (rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths) give live birth. Garter snakes and water snakes are also live bearers. Most colubrids (corn snakes, king snakes, rat snakes) lay eggs. There are exceptions, but this covers the vast majority of species you are likely to encounter.