Python living alone for 9 years suddenly gives birth to 14 babies

A male Brazilian rainbow python named Ronaldo, who lives alone in his cage at the City of Portsmouth College, England, has surprised many people when he unexpectedly gave birth.

A student from Portsmouth College was checking and cleaning Ronaldo's python cage when he was surprised to discover 14 baby pythons in the cage.

"We were so surprised and couldn't believe our eyes. At first we thought we were seeing things, but when we checked closely, they were really babies born by Ronaldo," said Amanda McLeod, a person in charge of taking care of Ronaldo's python.

Fourteen babies were found in Ronaldo's rainbow python's cage, despite the snake being identified as male and living alone for the past nine years (Photo: PA).

Pete Quinlan, a herpetologist at Portsmouth College, was called in to investigate. He said he was also shocked by the incident.

"I've been keeping snakes for 50 years and I've never seen anything like this happen before," Quinlan said. "The babies are a carbon copy of their mother, although the patterns are slightly different. Ronaldo has had a period of time where he's gotten fat, but we think it's because he's overeating and not because he's pregnant."

Mr Quinlan has cared for Ronaldo for the past nine years, after the python was found abandoned on the street by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a British animal welfare charity. Before that, the animal appeared to be someone's pet.

It was only when he discovered the baby pythons that Mr. Quinlan checked the sex of Ronaldo and discovered that they had long been mistaken about the animal's sex. Ronaldo was a female python, instead of a male python as many people initially thought.

"This is a great opportunity for students to learn about the development of baby pythons," Mr. Quinlan added.

Mr Quinlan is busy sexing the 14 baby pythons and preparing new enclosures for them. Once the babies are grown, they will be moved to new homes.

Speaking about the phenomenon of pythons giving birth without mating, Mr. Quinlan said this was "a miraculous birth" and a rare example of parthenogenesis, a natural form of asexual reproduction without fertilization.

Parthenogenesis occurs commonly in some plants, insects, reptiles, and invertebrates. Although rare in vertebrates, it does occasionally occur in some snakes, lizards, sharks, and birds.

Parthenogenesis helps some species to maintain their species in situations where finding a mate is difficult.

The case of Ronaldo's python is the third time the Brazilian rainbow python has been recorded reproducing in captivity without mating.

The Brazilian rainbow python ( Epicrates cenchria) is a non-venomous reptile known for its scales that sparkle in the light. Because of their unique scales, the Brazilian rainbow python is a popular pet.

This is a python native to Central and South America, distributed in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador... This python species often lives in humid tropical forests, rain forests and riverine areas. They like to climb trees and can swim well.

The Brazilian rainbow python has a gentle temperament and is easy to tame. Its main food is small animals such as mice, birds and lizards...

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc-cong-nghe/tran-song-don-doc-9-nam-bat-ngo-sinh-14-con-20240626162401640.htm