Ronaldo, a lonely boa constrictor, gave birth to 14 babies without a mate: he had not had any contact with snakes for 9 years. What is the secret?

Ronaldo the rainbow boa constrictor, who had no contact with other snakes for 9 years, gave birth to 14 snakelets in captivity. And its secret is not in the immaculate conception.

This "miraculous birth" is explained by a rare example of parthenogenesis. That is, it is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which embryos develop without fertilization, ApNews reports.

How rare is parthenogenesis?

Some wasps, crustaceans, and lizards reproduce only through parthenogenesis. Parthenogenesis is common in plants and insects, and less common in some amphibians, reptiles, birds, and fish. But in other species, it is extremely rare.

The birth of rainbow boas in captivity is only the third documented case in the world.

What is known about Ronaldo

Ronaldo is a 13-year-old Brazilian rainbow boa that lived in the vivarium at Portsmouth College (England). The vivarium workers were sure that their two-meter-long pet was a male. In addition, it had not been in contact with other snakes for 9 years.

So when one of the college students saw 14 tiny boas next to Ronaldo in the morning, she didn't understand what was going on.

"One of the students discovered the babies during a routine inspection of the vivarium. At first we thought she was mistaken. We couldn't believe our eyes!" said Amanda McLeod, an animal care worker.

The college staff called their reptile specialist, Pete Quinlan, who was also shocked by the discovery. "I've been breeding snakes for 50 years and I've never known this to happen before. In fact, the babies are clones of their mother, although their markings are slightly different," Pete admitted.

Quinlan has been taking care of Ronaldo for the past nine years. The boa constrictor, which the veterinarian declared to be a male, was a popular resident among college students.

"Ronaldo has been looking a little fatter than usual lately, as if he had a good meal. But we didn't think for a moment that he or she was pregnant. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn more about the development of snakelets," the veterinarian emphasized.

Now the students, together with the veterinarian, are busy determining the sex of the snake snakelets and arranging 14 new vivariums. After all, when the boas grow up, each of them will get their own home.

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