Joel Dietrich, age 9, of Surrey, B.C., Canada, for this question:     

HOW MANY EGGS DOES A SNAKE LAY?

A big python snake may lay 100 eggs and leave them to hatch in the warm ground. Smaller snakes lay smaller eggs, maybe a dozen or two dozen at a time. There are about 2,400 different snakes in the world and most types lay eggs with soft white shells. Each type lays a certain number to suit herself. Nobody knows for sure how many there will be because next year the same snake may lay a bigger batch of eggs.

Rattlesnakes and a few other snakes give birth to live babies. Actually the little snakes develop inside the mother's body and come forth in shells that look like clear plastic. They soon break free and go off on their own. There is no need for a mother snake to take care of her little ones because they are born knowing how to take care of themselves.