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MIRACLE!! 62-Year-Old Ball Python Lays Eggs Despite Having No Contact With Male (See Photos)

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Zoo keepers at the Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri were surprised that one among their ball pythons had produced seven eggs – despite having no contact with a male for over 15 years.




While some reptiles are known to breed as3xually, keepers also are surprised by the mother’s age.

At an estimated 62 years old, the ball python is believed to be the oldest living snake.

Mark Wanner, the zoological manager of herpetology at the zoo described the birth as a “unique occurrence”.

“It’s amazing, in my opinion, that a snake of this age is in a position to breed a fertile clutch of eggs,” he told the BBC.

The snake was given to the zoo by a personal donor in 1961 and was estimated to be three years old at the time, consistent with Mr Wanner.

The oldest documented ball python so far was a male at Philadelphia Zoo who died at the age of 47.

Mr Wanner added that the zoo planned to publish information about the snake’s age and agamogenesis , if and when it’s confirmed by testing.

Three eggs have survived and remain in an incubator. they’re expected to hatch within a month.

The zoo is using genetic testing to work out whether the eggs were produced as3xually, which has previously been recorded in reptiles including ball pythons, rattle snakes and komodo dragons.

There are previous cases of snakes storing sperm for delayed fertilisation.

Ball pythons, or royal pythons as they’re also known, are native to central and western Africa.

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