Virgin Komodo Dragon Gives Birth
5 Baby Dragons Hatch At British Zoo; Asexual Mother Had Never Been Exposed To Male
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Play CBS Video Video Virgin Komodo Birth CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata tells the tale of a little lizard born to a mother who never met a mate, but there was nothing artificial about this insemination.
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Video Komodo Birth Thrills Zoo Staff It may sound like science fiction, but a virgin Komodo dragon births are not unprecedented. Mark Phillips reports that zookeepers are excited to have their very own example of this rare phenomenon.
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One of the five newly hatched Komodo dragons emerges from its egg at Chester Zoo, Chester, England, Monday Jan. 22, 2007. (AP Photo)
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Flora the Komodo dragon walks around her enclosure at Chester Zoo, Chester, England, on Dec. 18, 2006. In an evolutionary twist, Flora managed to become pregnant on her own without any male help. (AP)
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Flora the Komodo dragon eats a fish in her enclosure at Chester Zoo, Chester, England, Dec. 18, 2006. (AP)
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Photo Essay Animal Instincts Photos: Take a gander at some of our favorite critters.
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.
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Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."





What? Dogs were bred from wolves and similar canines by man. That doesn't mean true wolves should be driven to extinction.
Immaculate Conception.
I'm Impressed.
so does flora take care of these babies or are they on their own?
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.
- by bluestardad January 24, 2007 11:37 AM EST
- does anyone care?
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