A snake laying eggs is not an unusual thing to happen. But staff members at the Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri were surprised to discover that the 62-year-old female ball python had laid seven eggs – despite having no contact with a male for over 15 years.
Although some reptiles are known to reproduce asexually, keepers at the zoo are also stunned by the mother’s age.
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What makes this incident interesting is the fact that ball pythons typically begin laying eggs when they are 4 to 6 years old, and stop well before their 60s.
Mark Wanner, the zoological manager of herpetology at the zoo described the birth as a “unique occurrence”.
