‘Virgin’ boa constrictor offers beginning to 14 infants in Portsmouth
British students in have been learning a very unusual biology lesson after their 13-year-old snake ‘Ronaldo’ suddenly gave birth – without having sex.
Experts at City of Portsmouth College believe that the six foot-long Brazilian rainbow boa’s 14 babies are the product of a rare ‘virgin birth’.
In a process called parthenogenesis, some species are able to reproduce without the need for a mate of the opposite sex.
Pete Quinlan, an animal care technician at the college, believes this is only the third such occurrence in a captive Brazilian Rainbow Boa anywhere in the world.
Although the snake is female, Mr Quinlan and staff thought it was male – hence its name Ronaldo after the famous footballer.
Students at City Portman College were surprised to discover that their male snake, Ronaldo (pictured), had unexpectedly given birth
As if by magic, the baby snakes (pictured) appeared in Renaldo’s enclosure and were discovered by a student
Mr Quinlan has been caring for Ronaldo for the last nine years ever since the snake was rescued by the RSPCA.
For the last two years, Ronaldo has been living at the city of Portsmouth College and at no time, claims Mr Quinlan, has the snake had a chance to mate.
He says: ‘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.
‘I’ve been breeding snakes for 50 years and I’ve never known this happen before.’
It was a student who soon discovered 14 baby snakes in the enclosure.
Animal care technician Amanda McLeod says: ‘One of the students discovered them during a routine vivarium check.
‘At first we thought she must have been mistaken. We couldn’t believe our eyes!’
Virgin birth is possible in snakes for a process called parthenogenesis in which the female reproduces using her own genetic material
Despite not being capped with another snake for nine years Ronaldo gave birth to 14 baby snakes. Pictured, some of the 14 babies
But while this may seem miraculous, it is in fact an entirely natural, if rare, process.
Just like in the famous case of Charlotte the Stingray (now deceased), some animals are capable of reproducing without the need for a male.
During sexual reproduction, genetic material from the male and female is combined to produce offspring.
But during a process called parthenogenesis, only genetic material from the mother is used – removing the need for a male partner.
It is not entirely clear what triggers certain species to undergo this process, or what connects the species that have this capability.
Most recently, Charlotte the stingray at the North Carolina Aquarium captured international attention after reports of Virgin Birth were publicised.
However, some scientists disputed the claims of Charlotte’s asexual reproduction, pointing instead to a rare reproductive disease which resulted in her death.
Yet some animals like snakes and crocodiles are capable of fertilising their own eggs, meaning the offspring get 100 per cent of their DNA from the female.
Katherine Mitchell, a spokesperson for The British Herpetological Society, explains: ‘The resulting young are essentially clones of their mother.’
However, due to the different ways their genetics are expressed, each of Ronaldo’s babies still has slight variations in their markings.
It is believed that Ronaldo reproduced asexually through a process called parthenogenesis
Ronaldo’s handler, Mr Quinlan (pictured), says he has never seen anything like this in his 50 years of keeping snakes
Mrs Mitchell told MailOnline that such an occurrence was ‘very rare’, adding: ‘Boa constrictors are not one of the species of reptiles where parthenogenesis is common.’
As for Ronaldo’s case of mistaken gender, Mrs Mitchell, herself a boa constrictor keeper, points out that some snakes have very few external signs of their sex.
She says: ‘Some species of snakes have obvious visual differences such as size or colouration.
‘In species where there is little external visible difference, it is possible for a vet or experienced keeper to use a metal probe [to find] their vent where their sexual organs are to establish sex.’
This means that misidentifying the sex of a snake is not all that uncommon.
Ronaldo’s 14 babies are being cared for at the college by Mr Quinlan where they will remain until they’re old enough to find new homes.
Although native to South America, the non-venomous boa constrictor is frequently kept and bred in captivity and kept as pets in other parts of the world, including the UK.
Exotic Pets UK describes boa constrictor on its website: ‘This species makes a great exotic pet, however a large enclosure is required when adult.’
Boa constrictors may bite to defend themselves, and although individuals are not generally dangerous to people, big adults can eat cats and dogs.
What are Boa constrictors and are they venomous?
Boa constrictors are considered to be one of the largest snake species in the world and can reach lengths of up to 13 feet.
They are non-venomous and have an arrow-shaped head.
Boa constrictors are famous for their method of killing their prey – by squeezing them tightly to death.
They have distinctive patterns on their bodies, sometimes with jagged lines, ovals, diamonds and circles.
They reach sexual maturity at around three to four years of age and can live up to 30 years in captivity.
The snake is native to South America but are widely bred in captivity.
Boa constrictors are very popular within the exotic pet trade.
