In an astonishing turn of events, a captive snake thought to be male has given birth to 14 babies after nearly a decade of isolation. The 13-year-old Brazilian rainbow boa, named Ronaldo, has not been in contact with any other snake for at least nine years. This extraordinary occurrence, known as parthenogenesis or virgin birth, has left keepers at the City of Portsmouth College in the U.K. baffled and amazed.
Ronaldo, a rescue snake previously identified as male by a veterinarian, was discovered to be a mother of 14 when one of the college’s animal care technicians, Amanda McLeod, noticed the unexpected offspring during a routine vivarium check. “At first, we thought she must have been mistaken. We couldn’t believe our eyes!” McLeod exclaimed.
This marks the third recorded instance of parthenogenesis in a Brazilian rainbow boa. “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,” Pete Quinlan, a reptile specialist at the college, remarked.
Parthenogenesis is a fascinating form of asexual reproduction that occurs in species that typically reproduce sexually. While rare, it has been observed in various species in captivity, including birds, lizards, and other snake species. In this process, eggs mature without fertilization by sperm. In some cases, eggs can be fertilized by a “polar body,” a small cell that forms alongside the egg cell in the reproductive tract.
The exact mechanism that triggered parthenogenesis in Ronaldo remains unclear. “Effectively the babies are clones of their mother although their markings are all slightly different,” Quinlan explained. Ronaldo was brought to City of Portsmouth College after being rehomed by an animal welfare charity. The snakelets are now being assessed to determine their sex and will be placed in new enclosures. Once large enough, they will be rehomed. This extraordinary event highlights the incredible diversity and adaptability of the animal kingdom, showcasing the remarkable reproductive capabilities of species, even in seemingly unlikely circumstances.