Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Parthenogenesis. Is it possible? And should we even talk about it?

Have their been any conclusive studies to prove a case of parthenogenesis in boas? I honestly don't know, so I'm just asking.
Whenever something that doesn't fit into our ideas of how boas should work (they don't read our books) with regards to breeding, parthenogenesis is often offered up as a possible explanation. Just this season, I've seen it tossed around at least a half a dozen times. Do we really think it's that common? Again, if there is NOT any conclusive study demonstrating parthenogenesis in boas to be possible, why do we all jump to that conclusion so quickly, and so often? If there is proof it's happened in boas, how rare is it?

On to the second question. Should we talk about it?
The reason I ask this is because this is one of the arguments of the "pro-ban" people. They assert that two animals don't even have to meet in the wild, to produce more. Just one can exist, duplicate itself, and cause harm to the environment. Obviously if there's only one, and it duplicates, it's a female and if there are no males around, in theory all of them will eventually die, but that doesn't matter when you're trying to save the "endangered key largo wood rat" (there was tons of sarcasm and silly voices in my head as I typed that last half of the sentence by the way).

So, what do you think?

jb
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What's written above is purely my opinion. In fact, MOST of what you read on the internet is someone's opinion. Don't take it too seriously

Jonathan Brady
DeviantConstrictors.com
Deviant Constrictors picturetrail

I am currently putting the finish touches to a paper regarding this topic. Once the paper is accepted I can release results of the study. Publication of academic papers is time consuming.

Warren
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Dr Warren Booth / Director USARK
North Carolina State University
Department of Entomology

sweet! That'll be pretty definitive! Thanks Dr. Booth!
jb
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What's written above is purely my opinion. In fact, MOST of what you read on the internet is someone's opinion. Don't take it too seriously

Jonathan Brady
DeviantConstrictors.com
Deviant Constrictors picturetrail

If they are capable of this we will have to revisit boas ability to hold viable sperm in the female for extended periods of time... Everyone always assumed if thier females got preg when they werent breeding them it was because the males sperm from the prior year was just stored in the female
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Marc Duhon
Lafayette, Louisiana
SURINAMBOAS.COM
kaiyudsai@SURINAMBOAS.COM

Last season I bred two Boas that shall remain somewhat a secret. When two Boas of these, yes completely different localities, are bred together, the resulting offspring look like one of the localities and not at all like the other. The locality that the appearance is lost from was the mother in this pairing. She bred with a co-dominant mutation male.

Here is what was produced:

- 17 Babies

- Zero of the co-dominant mutation

- All 17 are females

- Every single one of the babies looks identical to the mother without the normal complete loss of the mother's locality appearance.

So yes it happens, but to date I have never heard of a female Boa that has reproduced any live offspring without ever being introduced to a male. I believe a male must be present.

The morons that say that parthenogenesis is likely, learned their science from the movie "Jurassic Park". A complete fairy tale, but such is exactly the quality of the "science" ideologically tailored for the USGS anyhow. So you should expect more of the same.
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Jeff Ronne Sr
The Boaphile
Director USARK

Originator of Boaphile Plastics
The Boaphile Boa Site

Your litter sounds very interesting Jeff. I'm a little lost with
the Locality loss of locality or Phenotype or whatever
but it sounds interesting.

but . . . . . . .

Jeff now you better read the research better

Komodo Dragons have reproduced via Parthenogenesis without a male present

. . . Lar M
Parthenogenesis in Komodo dragons

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Boas By Klevitz

I Support USark.org

Hey Larry. I wrote, "So yes it happens, but to date I have never heard of a female Boa that has reproduced any live offspring without ever being introduced to a male. I believe a male must be present." Just Boas, not Lizards.

There have been thousands and thousands of Boas and Pythons that have been kept as pets for many years without any of them ever finding the need to "let nature find a way" to reproduce. It just doesn't happen. Though the scientists who tailor their science, for their ideological bent, will say the opposite if they think it will help their cause.

There are a number of Lizards that routinely reproduce via parthenogenesis. But I have never heard of a single Boa or Python that have given birth or laid viable eggs that have never been exposed to the opposite sex. That remains the stuff of the unknown.
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Jeff Ronne Sr
The Boaphile
Director USARK

Originator of Boaphile Plastics
The Boaphile Boa Site

>>There are a number of Lizards that routinely reproduce via parthenogenesis. But I have never heard of a single Boa or Python that have given birth or laid viable eggs that have never been exposed to the opposite sex. That remains the stuff of the unknown.
>>-----

Well here is one!

In snakes females are the heterogametic sex (ZW). Homozygous offspring will be either WW or ZZ. Since the WW combination is not viable, all observed offspring are ZZ and thus male.

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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

That Burmese had been with males in previous years. I said that there is not a single example of any Boa or Python that have given birth without ever being exposed to a male. Of the tens or hundreds of thousands that have been kept in captivity over the years, it hasn't happened.

I myself had a female that gave birth to a parthenogenic litter last year which I discussed within this thread. She had been with a male as had this Burm in previous years. There never has been a birth or viable eggs laid from a solitary Boa or Python that had NEVER been in with a male.
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Jeff Ronne Sr
The Boaphile
Director USARK

Originator of Boaphile Plastics
The Boaphile Boa Site

nonetheless, those researchers would love to get some blood from your snakes.
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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

I'm sending mine to the fellow Boa guy Dr. Warren Booth.
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Jeff Ronne Sr
The Boaphile
Director USARK

Originator of Boaphile Plastics
The Boaphile Boa Site

Gotcha Jeff, the Jurassic Park reference confused me
about the point you were making

It made me think you were pointing to reptiles in general

. . . Lar M
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Boas By Klevitz

I Support USark.org

Boas and Pythons too for that matter. There is at least one lizard species that ONLY reproduces via parthenogenesis. How lonely is that? LOL
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Jeff Ronne Sr
The Boaphile
Director USARK

Originator of Boaphile Plastics
The Boaphile Boa Site