Rainbow Boa Snake 'Ronaldo' Gives Birth to 14 Snakes! Reptile Thought to be Male Delivers Snakelets in England's Portsmouth in Rare Virgin Birth; What Does Parthenogenesis in Snakes Mean?

In a recent miraculous incident, a boa snake named Ronaldo, who was thought to be a male, gave birth to 14 babies at the City of Portsmouth College in southern England. The Brazilian rainbow boa has not been in contact with any other snake for the past nine years at least. Ronaldo was a rescue snake a vet previously identified as a male. According to the researchers at the City of Portsmouth College, the snake looked heavier than usual. In a statement released by the college, Peter Quinlan, the reptile specialist, stated that the births were from a rare phenomenon called parthenogenesis. It is a natural process of asexual reproduction. Giant Boa Constrictors and Pythons Cause Menace in Puerto Rico! Large Snake Species Devour and Endanger Native Species, Become a Major Cause of Concern.

“Ronaldo had been looking slightly fatter than usual, like he'd eaten a big meal, but we never thought for a moment that he, or should we say she, was pregnant,” said Peter Quinlan in a statement.

According to the statement by the college, the baby snakes were discovered by a student at the college, when the rainbow boa was going through a vivarium check. Researchers called the incident a “miracle event,” and it was only the third recorded case of a Brazilian boa giving birth through parthenogenesis.

What Is Parthenogenesis In Snakes?

Virgin birth, also known as parthenogenesis, is a type of asexual reproduction that occurs in species that normally reproduce sexually. Although it is a rare phenomenon, such cases have been recorded in several species in captivity, including birds, snakes, lizards, other snake species, and a crocodile.

In parthenogenesis, eggs mature without fertilisation by sperm. In some cases, eggs can be fertilised by a “polar body,” a small cell that forms in the reproductive tract simultaneously as an egg cell.

Although there are several other ways that parthenogenesis can occur, the phenomenon that caused Ronaldo to reproduce has been unclear. “Effectively the babies are clones of their mother although their markings are all slightly different,” Quinlan said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 01, 2024 04:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).