A boa constrictor in the U.K. gave birth to 14 babies - without a mate. Is it a miracle? The result of a secret rendezvous? Probably not. Females of species have the ability to reproduce asexually, without sperm from a male.
Yes, some animals can have babies without a mate. Here’s how
A boa constrictor in the U.K. gave birth to 14 babies - without a mate.
Is it a miracle? The result of a secret rendezvous? Probably not. Females of species have the ability to reproduce asexually, without sperm from a male. The process is called parthenogenesis, from the Greek words for "virgin" and "birth."
Some plants and insects can do it, as well as some amphibians, reptiles, birds and fish. A stingray named Charlotte that was thought to have become pregnant by this method died this week at an aquarium in North Carolina, though she never delivered and it is unclear if she was ever pregnant.
Some wasps, crustaceans and lizards reproduce only through parthenogenesis. But in other species it’s rare and usually only observed in captivity. Scientists have a good idea how it happens, though they aren’t clear why it happens, according to Kady Lyons, a research scientist at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.