Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, I'm a simple herp hobbiest at heart and I was watching a video off MSN that was speaking about Komodo Dragon in a zoo setting that laid viable eggs without the presence of a male. Then the narrator says this has been seen in other reptiles as well, even mentions a few snake species. Even speculates about the frequency of this happening many be more often than we know or would other wise suspect. Just want to know if any of you breeders have ever seen this first hand and just general thoughts about how this many occur in the wild more often as wild snakes are caught and exported.

the only species of snake that i can think of offhand would be the 'flowerpot snake',a species of worm snake.if i recall correctly,they reproduce almost exclusively through parthenogenesis,as all specimens found are female.as far as i know,no males of this species have ever been found.
also,the females of many species of reptiles(especially lizards and turtles)are capable of retaining sperm for 4 or 5 years after a successful mating;meaning they can produce viable offspring for years after ever being with a male.i had a wild-caught adult female eastern box turtle produce good eggs for the first 3 years that i had her,even though i never had her with a male.nature can sure make you wonder sometimes...
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1.1 cb spotted turtles (parker(f),stinky(m))
0.0.2 cb baby razorback musks (way too cute)
0.0.1 cb baby eastern mud (also ridiculously cute)
0.0.1 cb reeve's turtle (george)
0.0.1 cb eastern box (this year's young 'un)
2.6 ltc eastern box breeders
0.1 cb'06 eastern box(nanners)
1.2 cb'08 kenyan sand boas(1 albino,1 anery,1 normal)
1.1 israeli dune geckos
1.0 cb '03 homo sapien(kaelan,6)
"jesus is coming-when i count to 3,everyone jump out and yell SURPRISE!!"

If it is possible that females retain sperm (which I can't understand how sperm can life for that long) over several breeding seasons, then how is it possible to prove out certain mutations given one can't tell if a current male or retained sperm caused a clutch?

your guess is as good as mine,honestly.i'm not aware of any snakes retaining sperm(just lizards and turts,like i said before),but stranger things have happened.
i guess i would keep her totally separate for 2 or 3 breeding seasons,then put the male of your choosing in with her.it will involve waiting,but that's the only way i can think of to ensure your chosen male is the 'baby daddy'.
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1.1 cb spotted turtles (parker(f),stinky(m))
0.0.2 cb baby razorback musks (way too cute)
0.0.1 cb baby eastern mud (also ridiculously cute)
0.0.1 cb reeve's turtle (george)
0.0.1 cb eastern box (this year's young 'un)
2.6 ltc eastern box breeders
0.1 cb'06 eastern box(nanners)
1.2 cb'08 kenyan sand boas(1 albino,1 anery,1 normal)
1.1 stenodactylus stenodactylus geckos
0.1 redeye croc skink
1.0 cb '03 homo sapien(kaelan,6)
"jesus is coming-when i count to 3,everyone jump out and yell SURPRISE!!"

There have been rattlesnakes that have given live birth w/o a male present for over 5 yrs. I doubt sperm can be "retained" that long and be viable, but I do not know.

There is a teid lizard in So Cal that reproduces asexually during certain conditions when males are not readily available.

There have been snakes that laid viable eggs w/o a male present when the year before there was a male. Do not know which phenomenon takes credit for those instances.

Interesting stuff.
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Mark

I saw a thing on TV where a herp guy had had a ratler from the time it was born and one day he looked in on it and there was a baby with her. She had given birth without EVER having been near a male. So I know it does happen with some snakes at least.
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1 BP
4 Cal Kings 3 alb 1 het
3 Alb Corn
1 Rev Alb Nelsons

>>If it is possible that females retain sperm (which I can't understand how sperm can life for that long) over several breeding seasons, then how is it possible to prove out certain mutations given one can't tell if a current male or retained sperm caused a clutch?

The second generation (offspring of the offspring), not a second clutch from the same parent(s).
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What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.

Asexual reproduction can happen occasionally in snakes. It has been proven, for instance, in a python at the Amsterdam zoo. You can prove that it's asexual reproduction rather than retained sperm by doing DNA analyses.
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
2.0 Brazilian rainbow boas (Arco, Olho)
0.3 Honduran milksnakes (Chicchan, Chanir, Hari)
1.0 Thayeri kingsnake (Coatl)
2.7 corns (Cetto, Tolosa, Uce, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

So, AM I to assume that in either sperm retention or asexual reproduction the offspring would be much fewer? How about sterile too?

any babies produced should be just as fertile as mom.as far as how many?i have no clue.all of the anecdotal evidence provided here so far seem to point to a limited number of offspring,though.
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1.1 cb spotted turtles (parker(f),stinky(m))
0.0.2 cb baby razorback musks (way too cute)
0.0.1 cb baby eastern mud (also ridiculously cute)
0.0.1 cb reeve's turtle (george)
0.0.1 cb eastern box (this year's young 'un)
2.6 ltc eastern box breeders
0.1 cb'06 eastern box(nanners)
1.2 cb'08 kenyan sand boas(1 albino,1 anery,1 normal)
1.1 stenodactylus stenodactylus geckos
0.1 redeye croc skink
1.0 cb '03 homo sapien(kaelan,6)
"jesus is coming-when i count to 3,everyone jump out and yell SURPRISE!!"

Parthenogenesis is fairly well documented in reptiles. It's important to note that it takes several forms.

Members of Squamata don't have XX or XY chromosome sex ddeterming. Rather, the ZW sex determination system is present--basically ZZ is male, ZW is female, as opposed to mammals where XY is male and XX is female.
In all female species (whiptails) females with a ZW set of chromosomes produce other females with the same set of ZW chromosomes--all members of the species are female.

In species that have been documented using parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction (Timber rattlers, Komodo dragons, some garters I think), the offspring resulting from parthenogenesis are all male.
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa