Although true parthenogenesis has been proven in many species of reptiles, including Burmese Pythons, Timber Rattlesnakes, and Water Monitors...I am more inclined to believe that it could be sperm retention.

A requirement of the animals that were used in scientific studies of parthenogenesis....they can never have been in contact with a male since birth. Thus eliminating the any possibilities of male/female interaction.

I have kept several species of snakes in the past that showed incredible sperm storage capabilities... (mostly pit vipers)
Several of them produced babies, without have been in the presence of any males for over a period of several years.
They were likely sperm storage rather than true parthenogenesis.
I will never really know...as I did not have the ability to easily do DNA screening for any evidence.
(In some cases I knew it was indeed sperm storage...because of the presence of male offspring...in other cases there were only female offspring produced....so the question of a possibility of true parthenogenesis remained.)

In cases of true parthenogenesis...all the offspring will be female...and they are basically genetic clones of the maternal female. Interesting stuff.

My friend Nowya Honda, Curator at the Marayama Zoo of Sapporo City in Japan, has a female Water Monitor that was a product of true parthenogenesis. Confirmed via DNA testing.

Artis Zoo in Amsterdam, The Netherlands proved true parthenogenesis in Burmese Pythons....also using DNA evidence.

Dr. David Chizar of the University of Colorado in Boulder proved true parthenogenesis in Timber Rattlesnake back in 1994 or 95.
The female was never in the presence of any males since birth.
Also confirmed via DNA.

I am sure there are several other examples of true parthenogenesis.
Those three eggs look good....did you candle them too?
Good luck with them.
Perhaps contact your local State University if you think it might be true parthenogenesis. There may be a grad student who is hungry for a good paper??? Might shed some light on your eggs, if they should hatch.

Take care,
Harlin Wall - WALL TO WALL REPTILES!
970-255-9255
970-245-7611

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