Posted by:
PanamaRed
at Fri Apr 14 16:23:42 2006 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by PanamaRed ]
I think the parthenogenesis theory may be the winner on this litter IMO. How old was the motley male? Maybe he wasn't producing viable sperm yet (at the time of the breeding), and just helped to stimulate the female to reproduce on her own similar to a whiptailed lizzard. If there were no genes added by a male only the females genes X her own genes, this could be the reason those hypos in the litter are SO SWEET looking!!
Gourgous boas either way!  Just when you think you know whats comming nature throws you the curve ball..
Another idea on retained sperm..
What if it isn't the fact that sperm is retained for long periods of time, but dormant fetilized ova are retained.... You would think the sperm would die off in a shorter period of time, due to a female gestating and the heat she seeks during that gestation period.. Sperm don't do well in heat this is why male genitalia are external on many animals..
Somthing I found on the net about Parthenogenesis..
"whiptail lizard (genus Cnemidophorus) reproduce exclusively by parthenogenesis. These lizards live in the dry and sometimes harsh climate of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. All these asexual species appear to have arisen through the hybridization of two or three of the sexual species in the genus leading to polyploid individuals. The mechanism by which the mixing of chromosomes from two or three species can lead to parthenogenetic reproduction is unknown. Because multiple hybridization events can occur, individual parthenogenetic whiptail species can consist of multiple, independent asexual lineages. Within lineages, there is very little genetic diversity, but different lineages may have quite different genotypes. An interesting aspect to reproduction in these asexual whiptail lizards is that mating behaviors are still seen even though the populations are entirely female. One female plays the role formerly played by the male lizard and mounts the female that is about to produce eggs. The reason the animals act this way is due to their hormonal cycles, which cause some to act as males when levels of estrogen are low, and others to take the role of female when estrogen levels are high. Lizards that act out the courtship ritual have greater fecundity than those kept in isolation due to the increase in hormones that accompanies the mounting. So, even though asexual whiptail lizards populations lack males, they still require sexual stimuli for maximum reproductive success."
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Ed Lilley, www.constrictorsnw.com
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parthenogenesis - sperm retention long. - PanamaRed, Fri Apr 14 16:23:42 2006
