World's Smallest Snake Found in Barbados (1 of 2) (IMAGE)

Penn State

World's Smallest Snake Found in Barbados (1 of 2)

Caption

The smallest animals have young that are proportionately enormous relative to the adults. The figure shows that hatchlings of the smallest snakes are one-half the length of an adult, whereas the hatchlings of the largest snakes are only one-tenth the length of an adult. Tiny snakes produce only one massive egg -- relative to the size of the mother -- which suggests that natural selection is trying to keep the size of hatchlings above a critical limit in order for them to survive.

Credit

Blair Hedges lab, Penn State

Usage Restrictions

The credit information must be published along with the image.

License

Licensed content

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.