62 Year-Old Snake Lays ‘Miracle Eggs’
The oldest snake in captivity – known only as 361003 – hasn’t been near a male python for two decades
On July 23, a 62-year-old female Ball Python laid seven eggs despite having been separated from any male pythons for at least two decades.
The manager of the St. Louis Zoo said that it is not unknown for Ball Pythons to produce without a mate, or even to reproduce asexually. Some snakes will store sperm in their bodies for ‘delayed fertilization.’ It is, however, unusual for this species of snake to lay eggs after they reach 60 years of age.