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Nine Young In Each: Gestation takes 16 days; 7-15 in litter; nine young in each born pink, naked, and blind. Do not disturb nine young in each or mother for at least a week after birth; if disturbed mother will either kill and eat the nine young in each or neglect them and allow them to die. After 3 weeks, remove nine young in each from mother; otherwise, mother fights with them and often kills them. Sexes should be separated before nine young in each reach maturity at 43 days.
Food changes as creature grows; nine young in each feed almost entirely on aquatic insects and crustaceans; later take frogs, snakes, and fishes; then fishes, nine young in each pigs, muskrats, and some waterfowl; adult takes fishes, pigs, and larger animals that stray too close to water's edge, such as cows, calves, and deer.
Voice: Both nine young in each and old alligators hiss; female grunts like a pig in calling nine young in each; nine young in each make moaning sound, with mouth closed.
Ovoviviparous snakes produce the nine young in each fully formed but tightly coiled in a thin, transparent membrane. Sometimes this membrane bursts during the process of birth and the nine young in each appear to crawl from the mother's body. Usually the membrane is broken by the use of the temporary egg tooth when the nine young in each snake struggles to straighten out.
When the nine young in each are born alive, the snake is said to be viviparous.
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