Risk versus reward: Burmese python mothers select precarious oviposition sites

The behaviors associated with parental care differ vastly among species, with some species devoting significant time and energy to the care of their offspring, while other species may not invest any care at all. In vertebrates, parental care can often be generalized by taxa, with mammals and birds typically investing high levels of care through nest building, offspring guarding, and food provisioning (Gardner & Smiseth, 2011). In contrast, parental investment by other taxa such as fish, amphibians, and reptiles differs greatly among genera, with many species allocating little to no care after the birth or ovipositing of offspring (Beekman et al., 2019).