Splitjaw Snake: Bolyeriidae

The keel-scaled splitjaw snake is mainly active at night, although it does do some hunting during the day. It usually stays on or under the ground, probably spending a good deal of its time in small moist tunnels, or burrows, which provide a safe hiding place. Splitjaw snakes will also climb up shrubs and tree limbs, sometimes reaching heights of 8 feet (2.5 meters). Scientists knew very little about the reproduction of this species until the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, a group in the United Kingdom that tries to save endangered animals by breeding them in captivity, were able to get two captive snakes to mate successfully in 1982. The female laid eggs. Since then, other female keel-scaled splitjaws have laid eggs, too. No one has observed the snakes mating in the wild, but in captivity, they seem to mate most successfully from March to July and lay eggs from May to October. A female typically lays three to eleven soft-shelled eggs at a time, possibly laying them in a hidden spot, such as within a pile of leaves or inside a hollow tree trunk. Females may stay with the eggs for a while. When they hatch in about three months, the young are bright orange.