Reptile Lifecycle

In common language we say that reptiles are cold blooded creatures but when getting technical, reptiles are said to be Hypothermic. For body warmth, these creatures have to depend upon external heat. When considering reptiles like alligators, turtles, snakes and lizards, turtles are the only ones which show amphibian characteristics. To know more about them let’s have brief a look at what are the lifecycles of various reptiles.

Life Cycle of a Turtle: A marine turtle can fall under any of the three heads which are Loggerhead Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle or Green Turtle. If you weigh a marine turtle soon after the egg has hatched then it might not weigh more than 0.5 ounce. The maximum length will range between 1 to 1.5inches. The time when a female turtle has gained sexual maturity, the weight is something around 130 pounds and the height is measured approximately 2.5 feet. The life-cycle of these turtles begins on land itself. In the one can find out that that the female turtles dig egg chambers on the sea beaches where they lay their eggs. The incubation period of the eggs is around 7-12 weeks. as soon as the eggs hatch, hatchlings head towards the sea on their own. Moving into the deep waters they spend around 20 lost years and after around 35- 50 years they can be called as sub adults which allows them to move to shallow water. Reaching this place they turn into matured adults which make them competent of reproduce.

Life Cycle of a Corn Snake: Corn snakes more popularly known as red rat snakes belong to one of the oldest snake species. Coming on to what is the life span of a corn snake, a freshly hatched corn snake ranges somewhere around 25-38 cm. It is essential for a snake sibling to fend for itself in its initial days. Primary shedding can be witnessed probably within a week or at the max 10 days. In the first year, it is noticed that they grow three times larger than their size at birth. Spring is the season which stirs activity within them but the summer season brings along nocturnal times. They attain sexual maturity when they are between18 to 36 months of age. Mating seasons are reported between March to May and eggs hatch in the months between July to September. A corn snake has an age between 20 to 25 years.

Life Cycle of Salamanders: Although there are various species of salamanders and each of them has its different life cycle but a major thing common in all is, patterns of birth and growth. The mating season of salamanders is usually in springs. To trace a female partner, a male uses scent trails and at times use of visual prompting is also witnessed. Mating is a phenomenon seen underwater. Jellies like 200 eggs are laid by a female on any stick or underwater plant. Three weeks is the time when significant growth is seen in the legs of salamander. Two months is the time when it gains the structure of an adult. It takes a salamander around two years to grow into a full fledged adult and this is the time when he gets ready to mate. Generally the life of Salamanders is around 20 years but if looked after well, they can live up to 50 years.

After having a general idea about the life-cycles of exotic reptile, one can incorporate an immediate bounce in their maintenance and upbringing. It becomes easy for the owner and the pet both to lead a hassle free lifestyle when important details with regards to the pets are revealed.