Pythons 'incubate' and protect their eggs by coiling their bodies around the eggs almost continuously until they hatch. They are able to control temperature to a certain degree by shivering. Young snakes fend for themselves from birth. Depending on the species, each parent snake may produce between 10 and 100 young in one breeding season. Many young are lost to predators such as birds, lizards and other snakes.
Snakes play an important role in many different types of ecosystems.
However, their numbers are generally declining. Many harmless snakes, and even legless lizards, are killed unnecessarily in this way. If you come across a snake in the bush, just calmly walk the other way. If you would like to learn more about snakes, contact your local herpetological society. If you are interested in keeping snakes, you can get a reptile licence from the NPWS .