Here's a strange one for your Saturday afternoon, as researchers at Virginia Tech have found that a crocodile in Costa Rica made herself pregnant!
The crocodile was kept in captivity in a zoo, never having any contact with a male, but after a fully-formed foetus was discovered inside one of her eggs, a 'virgin birth' was declared.
Crocodile found to have made herself pregnant in first known 'virgin birth' https://t.co/x2mIC5ihmY
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 7, 2023
The event of a virgin birth, or parthenogenesis, is not uncommon in animals and reptiles, and there have been documented cases in birds, snakes and lizards.
But a case has never been discovered in a crocodile, and the discovery suggests this could have been happening for some time.
The crocodile in question was 18 when she laid a clutch of eggs in 2018, with the foetus found to be 99.9% genetically identical to the mother.
"It is not uncommon for captive reptiles to lay clutches of eggs, given the period of isolation from mates, these would normally be considered non-viable and discarded.
"These findings, therefore, suggest that eggs should be assessed for potential viability when males are absent.
"Furthermore, given that (virgin births) can occur in the presence of potential mates, instances of this may be missed when reproduction occurs in females co-habited with males."
The astonishing discovery has supplied an entirely new chapter of knowledge for researchers and enthusiasts, with scientists saying the discovery offers "tantalising insights" into the possible reproductive capabilities of extinct relatives of crocodiles, particularly dinosaurs.
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