Virgin Komodo Dragon Gives Birth

5 Baby Dragons Hatch At British Zoo; Asexual Mother Had Never Been Exposed To Male

(AP)  A British zoo on Wednesday announced the virgin birth of five Komodo dragons, giving scientists new hope for the captive breeding of the endangered species.

In an evolutionary twist, the newborns' 8-year-old mother, Flora, shocked staff at Chester Zoo in northern England when she became pregnant without ever having a male partner or even being exposed to the opposite sex.

"Flora is oblivious to the excitement she has caused but we are delighted to say she is now a mum and dad," said a delighted Kevin Buley, the zoo's curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates.

"When the first of the babies hatched, we didn't know whether to make her a cup of tea or pass her the cigars."

The shells began cracking last week, after an eight-month gestation period, which culminated with arrival Tuesday of the fifth black- and yellow-colored dragon. Two more eggs remained to be hatched.

The dragons are between 16 inches to nearly 18 inches long, weigh between 3.5 and 4.4 ounces, said Buley, who leads the zoo's expert care team.

He said the reptiles are in good health and enjoying a diet of crickets and locusts.

Other reptile species reproduce asexually in a process known as parthenogenesis. But Flora's virginal conception, and that of another Komodo dragon in April at the London Zoo, are the first documented in a Komodo dragon.

The evolutionary breakthrough could have far-reaching consequences for endangered species.

Captive breeding could ensure the survival of the world's largest lizards, with fewer than 4,000 Komodos left in the wild.

Scientists hope the discovery will pave the way to finding other species capable of self-fertilization.

While it was not unusual for female dragons to lay eggs without mating, scientists realized they were witnessing something important when they discovered Flora's eggs had been fertilized.

DNA paternity tests confirmed the lack of male input, although the brood are not exact clones of Flora.

Parthenogenesis had only been noted once before in a Komodo dragon. Genetic tests showed that Sungai, a resident of London Zoo, was the sole parent to offspring in April.

The process has been seen in about 70 species, including snakes and lizards.

Scientists are unsure whether female Komodo dragons have always had the ability to reproduce asexually or if this is a new evolutionary development.

The reptiles, renowned for their intelligence, have no natural predators — making them on par with sharks and lions at the pinnacle of the animal kingdom.

Chester Zoo's latest star attractions will eventually be moved into a specially built enclosure so the public can gaze at the evolutionary miracles.

[rokhollywood]

I say get the Flora chick (Flo the Ho) and that Geico Gekko on Springer, and make him submit to a paternity test. Then we'll see if the fruit of his loins got bizzy with her fire breathing kitty. Did he slip one past the goalie? Only time...will tell!

[l_briggs]

Apparently no one here has heard of Parthenogenesis. , which has occurred a number of times within the species.

[rf35]

george2221,

What? Dogs were bred from wolves and similar canines by man. That doesn't mean true wolves should be driven to extinction.

[jsilver2th]

Valerie Solanas Lives! Hey guys you'd better watch out- they're finding ways of surviving without us.

[tibu987]

A Catholic Miracle.
Immaculate Conception.
I'm Impressed.

[m_kotyk]

Amazing! God works in mysterious ways!!!

[xelaju23]

That is nature for you!!!

[lois747]

neat story.
so does flora take care of these babies or are they on their own?

[rf35]

dollybraid and thomassf123, too true. Let's start with the governor of Idaho. He wants to bid on the first permit if their legalized wolf massacre law gets passed. It's sickening.

[rf35]

Hmmmm...Unusual astronomical event (Comet McNaught), virgin birth. Did any wise men visit the zoo?

Just goes to show that nature can still surprise us. Now if we would quit trying to destroy it who knows what we might yet learn.

[dollybaird]

Here, Here ThomassF123, a fine and a slap on the writst is not enough for these monsters who abuse animals, did you hear about the 2 horses in Florida that were shot in the head by some mad person?? These people have no value of human or animals, they should all be thrown in jail to rot!!

[legendary240]

neat, I wish I could take one home and train him to fetch the paper.

[erics1kiddo]

Wonderful...Now if they could just live freely on this planet as they were intended. Nature does not need help. It needs to respected, conserved, and left alone.

[pearlshole]

We better care,they were here first.

[thomassf123]

This birth makes scientist's look like they do not know as much as they think they did. Now all we need to do is learn how to save the rest of the endangered species on our planet, including man. We need to punish people that commit crimes against animals with more than a fine, or a slap on the wrist. Thank you for your time.

[bluestardad]

does anyone care?