Reproductive biology and maternal care of neonates in southern African python (Python natalensis)

Abstract

Reproductive strategies such as parental care have been pivotal in evolutionary innovations such as endothermy in birds and mammals. The diversity of reproductive biology across the squamates provides a unique opportunity for elucidating the selective forces responsible for the evolution of various reproductive strategies. Here, I report on the reproductive biology of the southern African python (Python natalensis), based on a 7‐year study of free‐ranging pythons, revealing a behavioural complexity not usually expected for snakes. Mating occurred in the austral winter, with individual males following females for more than 2 months. As is typical for pythons, females brooded eggs by coiling around the clutch. Females are capital breeders; they lost ~40% body mass during a breeding event and did not breed in consecutive years. There was no evidence of the facultative thermogenesis that has been reported in congeners, suggesting that facultative thermogenesis has arisen independently more than once in Python. Reproductive females thermoregulated more carefully than non‐reproductives, maintaining higher, more stable Tbs at all stages of reproduction, especially while brooding. This was achieved by a stereotypic basking regime facilitated by ‘facultative melanism’, with females darkening significantly for the entire breeding event. Mothers remained with neonates at the nest site for approximately 2 weeks after hatching. During this time, mothers alternated between brief bouts of basking on the surface and coiling around the hatched eggs, on which the neonates rested. Neonates formed an aggregation near the burrow entrance to bask during the day, individually returning to the nest intermittently throughout the day. During the night, neonates remained within the mother's coils on the hatched eggs. This study highlights the diversity of reproductive biology within Python and cautions against generalization in this regard. This is the first unambiguous report of maternal care of neonates in an oviparous snake.

Python farming in Zimbabwe: Assessing local appetite for a novel agricultural system

“…Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) have been successfully bred and raised in an agricultural context for at least a decade. Python natalensis is in the same genus as P. bivittatus and displays similar life history traits (Reed and Rodda, 2009;Alexander, 2018). In Viet Nam, the socioeconomics of small-scale P. bivittatus production are broadly similar to ubiquitous backyard poultry production, the most significant difference being that pythons require a specialized high protein diet.…”

When to shed? Patterns and drivers of time to first ecdysis in snakes

“…Ecdysis, the shedding of the epidermis in a discrete event to accommodate skin renewal and growth (Tu et al, 2002 ), is a characteristic typical of snakes (Lillywhite & Coleman, 2016 ; Lillywhite & Maderson, 1982 ). Frequency of shedding is affected by temperature, humidity, food intake and reproductive behaviour (Alexander, 2018 ; Carlson et al, 2014 ; Cliburn, 1976 ; Gibson et al, 1989 ; Greene et al, 2002 ; Semlitch, 1979 ) but appears to also be under some measure of endogenous control (Alexander & Brooks, 1999 ). Shedding can affect foraging and thermoregulatory behaviours.…”

Social networks reveal sex- and age-patterned social structure in Butler’s gartersnakes (Thamnophis butleri)

“…Indeed, snakes are often incorrectly perceived as non-social ( Brattstrom 1974 ) and studies of their sociality are rare ( Bonnet et al 2002 ; Stahlschmidt 2011 ). Despite this, research on snake behavior continues to demonstrate that some species share social behaviors with more commonly studied animals; this includes basic parental care (Vipers; Greene et al 2002 ; Southern African Python; Python natalensis ; Alexander 2018 ), dominance hierarchies (Indian Python; Python molurus ; Barker et al 1979 ), preferred associations (Arizona Black Rattlesnake; Crotalus cerberus ; Schuett et al 2017 ; Eastern Gartersnake; Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis ; Skinner and Miller 2020 ), public information use (Timber Rattlesnake; Crotalus horridus ; Clark 2007 ), and territoriality (Taiwanese Kukri Snake; Oligodon formosanus ; Huang et al 2011 ). Additionally, research on snake grouping patterns has found interactions between related females similar to those found in species with matrifocal social groups.…”