Why don't birds get pregnant?

[Andrew Taylor <>]

On Wed, Jun 14, 2006 at 03:32:37PM +1000, Tim Murphy wrote:
> My Google said the sea snakes lay eggs in sand.

Most marine snakes are viviparous. The Laticaudids (Sea Kraits) do
return to land to lay eggs.  According to Ric Shine's "Natural History
of Australian Snakes", viparity arose about 5 million years ago in
Australian elapids and a rapid radiation has produced many viviparous
species including the Australian sea snakes (Laticaudids occur but don't
breed in Australia waters) and many terrestial species such as tiger
snakes and death adders.  Viparity has arisen many  times in reptiles -
for example in the familiar Red-bellied Black Snake of the east coast.
Its viviparous but its congeners are ovoparous.

Andrew
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