Elderly ball python lays eggs 'without male help'

But keepers at the Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri were surprised to discover that one of their ball pythons had produced seven eggs - despite having no contact with a male for over 15 years.

While some reptiles are known to reproduce asexually, keepers are also surprised by the mother's age.

At an estimated 62 years old, the ball python is believed to be the oldest living snake.

Mark Wanner, the zoological manager of herpetology at the zoo described the birth as a "unique occurrence".

"It's amazing, in my opinion, that a snake of this age is able to reproduce a fertile clutch of eggs," he told the BBC.

The snake was given to the zoo by a private donor in 1961 and was estimated to be three years old at the time, according to Mr Wanner.

The oldest documented ball python to date was a male at Philadelphia Zoo who died at the age of 47.

Mr Wanner added that the zoo planned to publish information about the snake's age and asexual reproduction, if and when it is confirmed by testing.

Three eggs have survived and remain in an incubator. They are expected to hatch within a month.

The zoo is using genetic testing to determine whether the eggs were produced asexually, which has previously been recorded in reptiles including ball pythons, rattle snakes and komodo dragons.

There have been previous cases of snakes storing sperm for delayed fertilisation.

Ball pythons, or royal pythons as they are also known, are native to central and western Africa.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54121551?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science_and_environment&link_location=live-reporting-story

Lalasticlala...

Oya food with plenty protein don done

lalasticlala Oya come and explain what is going on here

Snake is the most popular animal on NL

Snakes united

Wow....it's a miracle....but the snake get luck say e no dey 9ja...if not eh

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Is possible now dem fit du IVF for the snake nah

Wow

What are they surprised about? It is an asexual creature which means that it can produce offspring without the help of a male.

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Reminds me of a certain blogger who preached about celibacy...

Damnnnnn niggarrr
Isoright

food Don do

Na spirit husband give am belle!

Lala monitoring the growth of the 3 eggs before they hatch

This one na hermaphrodite

Hmmn end time

Ok

Lalasticlala oya, over to you.

[img]https://media1./images/ae8c4cd5117c3aea2a7f1e4cd71466b5/tenor.gif[/img]

Righteousness89:
B

Go n read ur Bible

I don't trust this white folks...they most probably had tinkered with its Gene's to create a hermaphrodite species of that snake.

watchout for the younger ones

Are you sure? Even Lalasticlala didn't go near her?

Nice

Don't go and hustle
Stay there and be forming figure8
Person wey go collect ur husband na amoeba�

First to comment



The python try

Certainly the outcome of Shilo 2019