Although Easter has Christian roots – like most religious traditions it has pagan influence. Eggs have always been a symbol of new life and were gifted at spring festivals. From a Christmas perspective, eggs represent Jesus resurrection. They were a forbidden food during lent, so decorating and giving eggs marked the end of fasting, a good reason to celebrate!

 Why do Animals Lay Eggs?

This is a reproductive strategy used across a variety of species – there are a few reasons:

Nutrition: yolk provides the embryo with nutrients required

Improved Survival rates: not as much risk as live young

Limitation of Parental investment: allows animals to conserve energy for feeding and predator escape.

Reproductive flexibility: in unstable environments where survival is unpredictable.

Australian Oviparous Animals include:

Loggerhead Sea Turtles: always return to the beach where they were born in order to lay their eggs.

Ungee Gungee: Grasshoppers can hold 300 eggs in their abdomen!

Platypus & Echidna: A monotreme’s egg is just over 1cm wide!

Mt Lidgbird Land Snail: Most land snails [Pulmonates] are hermaphrodites which means they have both male and female reproductive organs. They fertilise each another and then lay eggs.

Silver Eyed Velvet Gecko: Some females can be pregnant with her eggs for years before she lays them!

Crocodiles: The nest temperature determines the sex of the hatchling.

Coral: During a spawn, a single coral can produce and release millions of eggs during a 2-day period each year. This is considered a risky reproductive strategy as there are plenty of filter-feeders come to feast on the eggs and larvae. Approximately two of the millions of potential offspring each coral releases will survive to adulthood.

Emu: An emu egg is the equivalent of twelve chicken eggs! For the general public, it is illegal to take emu eggs.

Frogs: The eggs do not have hard shells. Instead, they are laid in a mass that looks like jelly.

Snakes: Not all snakes lay eggs, however some excellent mamas will lay on their eggs for up to 60 days!