Reproduction
Mating takes place in late May and early June. The male snake wraps its tail around the female with their vents nearly touching. The male then everts one of its sex organs, a hemipenis, into the female sex organ, cloaca. The mating lasts anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. After five weeks, the female lays about 12 to 20 eggs, which are 36–60 mm (1.4-2 in.) long by 20-26.5 mm (0.8-1.1 in.) wide. The eggs hatch about 65 to 70 days later in late August to early October. The hatchlings are 28–41 cm (11-16 in.) in total length, and they look like miniature fox snakes.
Read more about this topic: Pantherophis Obsoletus
Famous quotes containing the word reproduction:
“The atmosphere parents wish to create when talking with children about birth and reproduction is warm, honest, and reassuring, one that tells children they are free to ask questions as often as they need to, and you will answer them as lovingly as you know how.”
—Joanna Cole (20th century)
“The chief function of the city is to convert power into form, energy into culture, dead matter into the living symbols of art, biological reproduction into social creativity.”
—Lewis Mumford (18951990)
“It is so characteristic, that just when the mechanics of reproduction are so vastly improved, there are fewer and fewer people who know how the music should be played.”
—Ludwig Wittgenstein (18891951)