KAKE (Wichita, Kansas) 01 February 08 Komodo Dragon Hatches w/out Male Help
There is a new animal at the Sedgwick County zoo, but its how he got there that is especially newsworthy.
The zoo became the first in the Western Hemisphere to document that Komodo dragons are capable of parthenogenesis (reproduction without the contribution of a male).
The hatchling entered the world on January 31, measuring almost 17-inches-long from nose to tail and weighing 104 grams.
Only two earlier cases were documented in 2006 at London Zoo and Chester Zoo in England.
The Sedgwick County Zoo has two adult Komodo dragons; both are female and cared for separately. One female, known to the keepers as Gaia, laid approximately 17 eggs on May 19-20, 2007.
Sedgwick County Zoo followed the Species Survival Plan (SSP) recommendation to incubate and hatch two eggs. The SSP wanted to further document that Komodo dragons are capable of parthenogenesis. The second egg at Sedgwick County Zoo is in the final stages of hatching.
The first hatchling is doing well and could be on exhibit in the Amphibian and Reptile Building in approximately 10 -14 days.
Komodo Dragon Hatches w/out Male Help
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KS Press: Komodo Hatches w/out Male Help
Replies (3)
Does that mean England is the the "eastern hemisphere"? Or maybe we bisect it? If so Chester would still be in the "western hemisphere" by virtue of its position west of the prime meridian...
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Mampam Conservation
Did I read that right, they ONLY hatched 2 eggs as part of a program to save the species? Are Komodo dragons in danger of going extinct by virtue of being too prolific? I guess less is more. Or, in this case, maybe not. Maybe, less is just less.
Good question and worth asking. Two Komodo Dragons was the recommendation by the SSP based on the overabundance of males (males thought to be the only sex possible with Komodo parthenogenesis) and the fact that they would be nearly genetically identical to the mother thereby having little value for genetic diversity. Komodo Dragons are very threatened but it would be irresponsible of zoos to just hatch out as many as possible without considering the importance of genetic diversity in the captive population. There will also be a video of the first Komodo hatching released onto www.scz.org (the zoo website) soon that is definitely worth viewing.
