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College shocked at rare asexual snake birth
The birth is an extremely rare phenomenon known as parthenogenesis.
Ronaldo the Brazilian rainbow boa gave birth to 14 snakelets.

Ronaldo, a 13-year-old Brazilian rainbow boa, has given birth to 14 baby snakelets – despite previously being thought to be male.

Staff and students at the City of Portsmouth College, where the six-foot snake lives, were especially shocked since Ronaldo had not been in contact with other snakes in at least nine years.

The birth is believed to be an extremely rare phenomenon called parthenogenesis. Parthenogenesis, a natural form of asexual reproduction, occurs when embryos develop without fertilisation.

Although it takes place in other animals and plants, this is only the third documented case in a captive Brazilian rainbow boa.

The birth was discovered by a student at the college, as part of a routine vivarium check. With Ronaldo previously declared male by a veterinary surgeon, staff thought that the student was mistaken.

After seeing the 14 snakelets, the college called in Pete Quinlan, a reptile specialist who had been caring for Ronaldo. The snake had been in Mr Quinlan’s care for the past nine years, after being adopted from the RSPCA.

Mr Quinlan has now started working out what sex the snakelets are, and is setting up 14 vivaria for the new arrivals. Once they are grown, the snakes will be rehomed.

The college hopes that the unexpected arrival will provide students with an opportunity to learn about the development of baby snakes.

Mr Quinlan said: “I’ve been breeding snakes for 50 years and I’ve never known this happen before. Effectively the babies are clones of their mother although their markings are all slightly different.

“Ronaldo had been looking slightly fatter than usual, like he’d eaten a big meal, but we never thought for a moment that he, or should we say she, was pregnant.”

Image © City of Portsmouth College

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BEVA gives RVNs right to vote

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 The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) is to allow its registered veterinary nurse (RVN) members the right to vote.

RVN members will now be able to take part in key decision-making processes and stand for BEVA council.

Marie Rippingale, chair of BEVA's Nurse Committee, said: "I am very proud to be a part of BEVA.

"This change will help to empower nurses to speak up and contribute, but more importantly, it will give them an opportunity to collaborate with other members of the equine veterinary profession to bring about change that is positive for all." 

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The short online survey is open to all livestock farmers, regardless of whether they've had a confirmed case of bluetongue on their farm. It asks how many animals have been affected, the severity of their clinical signs and how it has impacted farm business.

The survey takes five minutes to complete and is fully anonymous.

It is led by Fiona Lovatt, of Flock Health Limited, and the Ruminant Health & Welfare bluetongue working group, in collaboration with AHDB and the University of Nottingham.

Dr Lovatt says: "We need to find out what level of clinical signs farmers are seeing in their animals, whether they are experiencing mortality with BTV-3 cases, and what their appetite is to vaccinate in future for bluetongue serotype 3."

The survey can be found here.