Debbie Fry, age 11, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, for her question:

Do mother snakes feed their young?

Some snakes are better mothers than others, but even the best ones do not provide food for their young. In fact, most mother snakes lay their eggs and promptly depart. The sun keeps them warm in the ground and in time the little ones wriggle out of their soft shells. There is no kindly mother around to tend and protect them. But these motherless snakes are born knowing how to take care of themselves, more or less.

The boas and a few other snakes keep the eggs in their bodies until the youngsters are fully developed. These mother snakes give birth to live babies. Sometimes they stay around a little while after the last one is born. But they do not provide food for them or even teach them how to find food for themselves. Actually this is not necessary because the youngsters already know how to find their own food.