7 Animals That Reproduce Asexually

Asexual reproduction refers to a type of reproduction where the offspring is born to a single parent. The newly created offspring will be an actual clone of their parent since they both have the same genetic makeup and physical characteristics.

There are many organisms and animals which can reproduce asexually as there will be no gamete infusion, as well as the number of chromosomes, remains the same. Unless there is a rare mutation occurring, the offspring will have the same genes as its parent.

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Here we would like to share with you 7 animals that reproduce asexually or as they call it parthenogenesis.

1. Boa Constrictor Snake

Parthenogenesis or breeding from the ovum without fertilization is not something unusual in snakes. It is known that there are various species of snakes especially females that are capable of laying eggs without mating with a male.

However, during the first case of parthenogenesis, it came as a shocking surprise for many people. Such fertilization was first to occur in snakes in 2010 when a boa constrictor became the first to be successfully bred by this method.

This Boa Constrictor was placed inside a nest full of male snakes. Miraculously, this snake not only gave birth to 1 but 2 offspring.

2. Cape Honey Bee

According to sources, there are around 20,000 species of honey bees found across the globe. Most of these honeybees reproduce sexually where the female(queen) mates with the males.

Cape Honey, on the other hand, is among the known honey bees that can breed asexually. This bee is commonly found in South Africa and it breeds by a technique known as thelytoky.

When the eggs are hatched, all the bees being born will be female.

3. New Mexico Whiptail

Many invertebrates or animals without a backbone are well-known for breeding through parthenogenesis. But it is rarely seen for animals with a backbone to breed in such a way as what can be seen in the New Mexico Whiptail.

The interesting fact about this animal is that all of the lizards are female meaning that there are no male lizards present in this world. It was previously bred with the Striped Whiptail and the Western Whiptail.

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Unfortunately, the male offspring produced were not in good shape. However, the absence of male lizards did not make the population of New Mexico Whiptail ceased to exist. The female lizard is capable of laying a maximum of 4 eggs and a time and of course, it will hatch the eggs itself.

4. Turkey

For those who love to feast on Turkey during Thanksgiving must know of its delicacy. Turkey is quite popular in the West as it is one of the special dishes on specific occasions. But most of you might not know that Turkey also belongs to the group of animals reproducing asexually.

Despite the female being kept inside the coop with the male, they will frequently lay eggs if they were separated from the male. In the forest, this might seem like a rare occurrence but there are groups of Turkeys that breed through parthenogenesis.

5. Zebra Shark

Sharks might be among the most spoken type of fish out there. All around the world are now showing their concern for the population of sharks that are currently endangered due to excessive poaching.

The fish's fin is the part that most people are after as they believed it brings many health benefits on top of being a delicacy in soup. There are many species of sharks in the waters but there is one outstanding species among them all which is the Zebra shark.

This species is rather special as it can reproduce asexually. Researchers are dying of curiosity to learn about this fish which mostly consist of female.

6. Walnut Gulch Scorpion

The next animal on the list which can reproduce asexually will be the scorpion. Not all scorpions can do this, but some species like the Walnut Gulch Scorpion are capable of doing so.

This species can continue to survive without having slight touch with the opposite gender. This scorpion can mostly be found in South Arizona and it has a red to brown color from its neck to the belly.

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According to the Euscorpuis journal, there are 187 species of scorpions from the Vaejovidae family in which most of which are female. After studying, this scorpion has a bacteria known as Wolbachia which triggers feminism in the arthropod family.

7. Komodo

The last one will be the most interesting one as it is the biggest species of lizard in the world. It can be found in Komodo Island, East Nusa Tenggara. According to researchers, the komodo is an ancient reptile that should have extinct from the face of the earth.

This animal can grow up to 3 meters long and weigh 70kg. The Komodo has immense strength and can even take down bigger-sized animals such as pigs and deer easily. In 2005, the world come to a surprise after realizing that the komodo is also a parthenogenesis animal.

This happens as they witness a group of komodo in a zoo in London that are able to lay eggs without having contact with the male.

Source:

• Iluminasi

Also read: Top 9 Most Intelligent Animals In The World