Unusual 'Virgin Birth' Case: Crocodile Impregnates Herself At A Zoo

• Image Credit: Google

• Jun 8, 2023 | Dhupali Das

A crocodile at a Costa Rica zoo became pregnant on her own. Her foetus is reportedly 99.9% genetically similar to...

Digital Desk: A crocodile at a Costa Rica zoo became pregnant on her own. Her foetus is reportedly 99.9% genetically similar to her. This incident has taken many people by surprise, including scientists.

"We see it in sharks, birds, snakes, and lizards, and it is remarkably common and widespread," said Dr. Warren Booth, who examined the foetus. ''When people started keeping pet snakes, there was a significant increase in reports of parthenogenesis. "However, your average reptile keeper does not keep a crocodile," he added. The process known as "virgin birth" scientifically known as parthenogenesis - is also common in birds. However, this has never been seen with crocodiles.

The crocodile in question is a female American crocodile that is 18 years old. The foetus inside her was completely formed but stillborn. The crocodile was bought by the zoo when she was two years old and has spent all of her days away from other crocodiles.

The study on this unusual incident was published in Biology Reports. It is titled "Discovery of facultative parthenogenesis in a new world crocodile."

"Once thought to be rare, the ability of sexually reproducing species to generate offspring without genetic contributions from males, known as facultative parthenogenesis, has been documented across multiple vertebrate lineages, including both avian and non-avian reptiles," according to one part of the study. It also explains why parthenogenesis has not been observed in reptiles such as crocodiles, alligators, and gharials.