Content
- what are oviparous animals
- Oviparous and Viviparous Animals - Differences
- Oviparous:
- Viviparous:
- Examples of oviparous animals
- Examples of Oviparous Mammals
In nature we can observe several reproductive strategies, and one of them is oviparity. You should know that there are many animals that follow the same strategy, which appeared much earlier in evolutionary history than livebearers.
if you want to know what are oviparous animals, what is this reproductive strategy and some examples of oviparous animals, continue reading this article by PeritoAnimal. You will solve all your doubts and learn amazing things!
what are oviparous animals
You oviparous animals are those that lay eggs that hatch,since they are out of the mother's body. Fertilization can be external or internal, but hatching always takes place in the external environment, never in the mother's womb.
You fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds, like some mammals occasionally, they are oviparous. They usually lay their eggs in well-protected nests, where the embryo will develop inside the egg and then hatch. some animals are ovoviviparous, that is, they incubate the eggs inside the body instead of in a nest and the chicks are born alive directly from the mother's body. This can be seen in some types of sharks and snakes.
THE oviparous animal breeding it's an evolutionary strategy. can produce one or many eggs. Each egg is a gamete formed by genetic material from the female (egg) and genetic material from the male (sperm). The sperm must find their way to the egg, either in an internal environment (the female's body), when fertilization is internal, or in an external environment (for example, the aquatic environment), when fertilization is external.
Once the egg and sperm meet, we say that the egg has been fertilized and it becomes a embryo that will develop inside the egg. Many animals produce many eggs, but very fragile ones, and the advantage of this strategy is that, by producing so many offspring, there is a better chance that at least one of them will survive the predators. Other animals produce very few eggs, but very large and strong and this increases the probability that the development of the new individual will come to the end and hatch, giving rise to a new very strong individual, which will have more possibilities to escape predators when born.
Being an oviparous also has its drawbacks. Unlike viviparous and ovoviviparous animals, which carry their offspring inside their bodies, oviparous animals need to protect or hide their eggs during its developmental stage in structures called nests. Birds often sit on their eggs to keep them warm. In the case of animals that do not actively protect their nests, there is always the possibility that a predator will find them and devour them, so it is very important to correctly select the nest location and hide the eggs very well.
Oviparous and Viviparous Animals - Differences
THE main difference between oviparous and viviparous animals is that oviparous animals do not develop inside the mother, while viviparous animals undergo all kinds of changes within their mother. Thus, oviparous animals lay eggs that develop and hatch young individuals. While viviparous animals are born as young living individuals and do not lay eggs.
Birds, reptiles, amphibians, most fish, insects, molluscs, arachnids and monotremes (mammals with reptilian characteristics) are oviparous animals. Most mammals are livebearers. For the avoidance of doubt, we show a feature list that differentiate oviparous animals from viviparous animals:
Oviparous:
- Oviparous animals produce eggs that mature and hatch after being expelled from the maternal body;
- Eggs can be laid already fertilized or unfertilized;
- Fertilization can be internal or external;
- Embryo development takes place outside the female;
- The embryo receives nutrients from the egg yolk;
- The probability of survival is lower.
Viviparous:
- Viviparous animals give birth to young, fully developed live animals;
- They don't lay eggs;
- The fertilization of the egg is always internal;
- Embryo development takes place within the mother;
- The probability of survival is greater.
Examples of oviparous animals
There are many types of animals that lay eggs, below are some of them:
- birds: some birds only put one or two eggs fertilized, while others put many. Generally, birds that lay one or two eggs, such as cranes. they don't survive long in nature. These birds spend a lot of time taking care of their young to help them survive. On the other hand, the birds that lay a lot of eggs, like common coot, they have a higher survival rate, and they don't need to spend as much time with their young.
- Amphibians and reptiles: frogs, newts and salamanders are all amphibians, they live in and out of water, but they need it to stay moist, and also to lay their eggs, since these eggs have no shells and, in the air, they would dry quickly. Reptiles, such as lizards, crocodiles, lizards, turtles and snakes, can live on land or in water, and they lay eggs outside or inside it, depending on the species. As they are not used to taking care of their nests, they lay a lot of eggs so that the survival rate increases.
- Fish: all fish they lay their eggs in water. Female fish expel their eggs in the middle freely, place them in aquatic plants or throw them into a small excavated hole. The male fish then release sperm onto the eggs. Some fish, such as cichlids, keep their eggs in their mouths after fertilization to protect them from predators.
- arthropods: most arachnids, myriapods, hexapods and crustaceans that form the arthropod group are oviparous. Spiders, centipedes, crabs and moths are some of the millions of arthropods that lay eggs, and they put hundreds of them. Some lay eggs that have been fertilized through internal fertilization, and others lay non-fertile eggs that still need sperm.
Examples of Oviparous Mammals
It is very rare for mammals to lay eggs. Only a small group called the monotremate does. This group includes the platypus and echidnas. We can only find them in Australia and in some parts of Africa. These beings lay eggs, but unlike the rest of the oviparous animals, monotremes feed their young with milk and also have hair.
