Question

Animals which lay eggs are called _____
(a) Viviparous
(b) Oviparous
(c) Both a and b
(d) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: The word parous means bearing offsprings in a specific manner. Some animals lay eggs and some animals give birth to young ones.

Complete answer:
The animals that lay eggs are known as oviparous. The young ones are protected inside the egg along with the yolk that provides nutrition to the growing embryo. The eggs are then hatched outside the female body.

Additional information:
-Viviparous animals are those where the tongue ones develop within the uterus and obtain nourishment before birth. They receive essential nutrients from the mother’s blood through a yolk sac placenta.
-Pisces, Amphibia, Reptiles, and aves are oviparous.
-Mammals are viviparous where they give birth to young ones but with a few exceptions. The exception includes egg-laying monotremes like the platypus.
-Chances of survival in viviparous animals are much more than the oviparous animals because of embryonic care and the protection in the mother’s womb.

So, the correct answer is ‘oviparous’.

Note:
-There are some animals in which the eggs hatch within the animal's body and they give birth to the young ones. These animals are known as ovoviviparous animals.
-The most common examples include sharks.
-The shells of reptiles have a softshell which is leathery.
-The chicken eggs have a hard shell due to the presence of calcium carbonate.
-It is a well-known fact that the evolution of a harder egg and the encasing of the embryo in a protective covering is one of the major evolutionary changes that led to the rise of terrestrial animals as the egg layer protected the embryos from desiccation and predators.