Chawna Schuette / St Louis Zoo
The snake that laid seven eggs at the St. Louis Zoo in Missouri, USA
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At 62, this is the oldest snake ever to lay eggs. But the big news is not even this, because, despite continuing to reproduce, the last time the animal was in contact with a male of the species was in 1990.
A captive snake laid 7 eggs, despite not having contact with any male for more than two decades. The cartoon case took place at the St. Louis Zoo in Missouri, United States, and is puzzling investigators.
In addition to not having been fertilized recently, this python-real broke a longevity record, as it was able to breed chicks until late. The snake 62 years old, more than twice the average life expectancy for this species.
Supposedly, and according to experts, at this age, the snake should no longer be able to lay eggs. But females of this species “have the ability to reproduce without the help of males, despite being unusual,” he explains. Mark Wanner, responsible for the herpetology department at the St. Louis Zoo.
Cited by Associated Press, the specialist in the study of reptiles and amphibians explains that sometimes snakes store sperm to delay fertilization, but not for so many years, as it happened in this case. The researcher guarantees that this is “Definitely the oldest snake we know in history to lay eggs”, being also the oldest to live in captivity in a zoo.
Of the seven eggs that python laid on July 23, three remain in an incubator, two were used for genetic testing and the other two did not survive.
The only male Royal Python snake at the St. Louis Zoo is 31 years old and is not in the same nursery as the female. Neither is exposed to the public. The snake was offered to the zoo in 1961, when he was just three years old. The last time he was in contact with males of the species was in 1990.
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