Nature & Environment

Mystery as lone python suddenly lays eggs

By T.K. Randall
September 12, 2020

Image: Reticulated Python
Credit: Mariluna / CC BY-SA 3.0 (adapted) The python, which at 62 years of age is believed to be the oldest known snake in captivity, resides at St Louis zoo where she has remained isolated from other snakes for well over a decade.

Out of the seven eggs, three have been placed in an incubator, two have been used for genetic sampling and the other two did not survive.

It is estimated that the surviving eggs could hatch within a month.Exactly how the snake ended up laying eggs despite its isolation isn't clear, however it is not unheard of for pythons to reproduce asexually or to store sperm for long periods of time.

It is hoped that the genetic sampling will reveal which of these two possibilities is most likely.

One thing's for certain - the python, which is known only as 361003, is the oldest snake on record ever to have laid eggs, making her a record breaker one way or the other.

On 7/23, something incredible happened at the Herpetarium — a ball python laid eggs! This particular female snake is over 50 years old (the oldest snake documented in a Zoo) & has not been with a male in over 15 years!

Read more: https://t.co/GkAEsRD5iZ pic.twitter.com/oeHI9OURZY

— Saint Louis Zoo (@stlzoo) September 8, 2020

Source: The Guardian

Tags: Python, Snake