Does a mother snake stay with her young forever?

Answer 1

It really depends on the type of snake. An Anaconda stays with her hatchlings until they are about three hours to three months old. Even snakes that don't take care of their young still care whether the hatchlings are safe or not, therefore a mother snake will find a warm, safe, and protected area for her eggs. The area between the roots of a bush is a perfect place for snakes to lay their eggs. This area provides warmth, safety, protection, and even a supply of worm for the hatchlings until they are able to leave the safety of the bush's roots.

Answer 2

Snakes do not stay with their young for more than a few days, if that long.

Most egg laying snakes lay and bury eggs in the ground and then leave. Some stay near, but not at, the laying site a few days, a few species stay nearby until the eggs hatch to guard against predators.. Snakes are ready to hunt and feed themselves within minutes of hatching. Many snakes bear live young, these snakes are ready to be self supporting as soon as they are born. A mother snake may stay with newly hatched or born snakes for a few minutes, hours or days. She is not caring for them or teaching them anything, but she guards them from predators. Most of the young move off on their own rather quickly.

Most of the snakes that do guard the eggs or young are venomous. Most rattlesnakes are born alive and have venom at birth. They may linger near and hide in the same hiding place where they were born, and in which the mother may hide while not hunting, for a few weeks . Since they have to feed themselves they soon leave in search of food.

An exception to the more common abandoning of the eggs once they are laid is the King Cobra, which actually builds a nest by coiling herself around vegetation and making a heap over the eggs. She then coils herself around the nest for over 3 months without eating. Just as the eggs begin to hatch she leaves.

Since the genus name for king cobras, Ophiophagus , means "snake eater" and she hasn't eaten for over 3 months, she protects them by leaving and not eating them. Of course if they should encounter each other sometime later, they may not be so lucky.