Source Want more facts?, follow the Ultrafacts Blog
50 species of lizard and one species of snake reproduce through parthenogenesis (that’s the fancy word for producing offspring as a female without having sex).
Except.
Whiptails are stimulation ovulators. That is to say, they can’t ovulate without having sex.
So not only do they are give birth through immaculate conception, they’re ALL LESBIANS.
There are two kinds of parthenogenesis seen in reptiles. That used by whiptails and the other all female species is true cloning - the egg contains the female’s full genetic material).
Other species including komodo dragons use another form of parthenogenesis where they actually fertilize themselves, with a haploid polar body used instead of a sperm. Because of the way reptile sex chromosomes work, this form of parthenogenesis can produce males as well as females - however, the females produced have weird sex chromosomes and can only lay other females. It’s used as a backup reproductive strategy if they can’t find a mate. This works because in reptiles, unlike mammals, its the males that have two sex chromosomes the same (ZZ) and the females different (ZW). Females produced by parthenogenesis are WW - and that’s what happened to the whiptails. They lost the Z chromosome and now are all WWs.
IOW?
Reptiles are fascinating.
(via moontyger)
never-was-has-been liked this squeackygee reblogged this from rexuality
squeackygee liked this
justremainingmyself liked this
isatresbelle liked this
keikoyume liked this
afk-brb reblogged this from silverblueroses-blog pyroglycerinecreampufff reblogged this from creampufffinspiration
thegoatsongs liked this eternaltaleofthedead liked this
meanheans reblogged this from stele3
asinglelilacbush reblogged this from rexuality ladyluckylu liked this
soprobrochacho liked this
purplebouquettragedyo3o liked this
3goldcoins reblogged this from beamscissors
bjornloka liked this lilacwitch047 liked this
vinceaddams liked this
lavamethyst liked this
weekendmood reblogged this from consultingpiskies saulongoro reblogged this from teribite
saulongoftheshadowclan-blog liked this teribite reblogged this from masquerading-brambles
teribite liked this
autisticats reblogged this from waldkindsworld
autisticats liked this
abobobob liked this
waldkindsworld reblogged this from willowdove
waldkindsworld liked this sorry4charlie reblogged this from impossiblebluebirdcreation
sorry4charlie liked this
gynakotropin reblogged this from willowdove
creakingpines liked this feverey reblogged this from masquerading-brambles
feverey liked this
vangogh-vanhoe liked this impossiblebluebirdcreation reblogged this from masquerading-brambles
queen-defender-on-ice liked this
willowdove reblogged this from masquerading-brambles
willowdove liked this
masquerading-brambles reblogged this from ryxl-was-here
masquerading-brambles liked this ryxl-was-here reblogged this from donthitanybody
singing-void liked this
404nameredacted liked this leggy-carter liked this
ultrafacts posted this
- Show more notes