Animals giving birth is not usually shocking for staff at Telford’s Exotic Zoo, but a lizard in their care recently left them stunned after giving birth without mating.
A female casque-headed iguana produced eight hatchlings during the last week of August in a so-called “virgin birth”.
It is due to a process called parthenogenesis, which allows unfertilised eggs to develop into embryos, creating offspring that are identical genetic clones of their mother.
“When we confirmed the eggs were fertile without any contact with a male, our jaws hit the floor,” said Scott Adams, the zoo’s owner.
“We were quite surprised when our long-term resident decided to lay some eggs, we thought, we’ll pop them in the incubator,” Mr Adams said, “they stayed looking quite white, quite healthy.
“A couple of months later, we’ve got eight babies running around.”
“They’re all females, they’re all pretty much clones of mum,” Mr Adams said.
“They all speak at exactly the same time,” he joked.
“This is one of the rarest events in the animal kingdom.”
The hatchlings are living in the zoo’s specialist reptile nursery, where temperature and humidity is maintained around the clock.
“For us, it’s a powerful reminder that life finds a way in the most unexpected circumstances.”
It is hoped they will be on display in a public enclosure in the coming weeks, while two of the babies are heading off to another zoo.
Casque-headed iguanas are native to Central and South America, and the zoo said this was one of few documented cases of parthenogenesis in zoos worldwide.
“This story gives us an amazing opportunity to talk with our visitors about genetics, evolution, and the challenges that reptiles face in the wild,” said Mr Adams.
“It’s not just exciting, it’s important for science and conservation education too.”
