College shocked at rare asexual snake birth
The birth is an extremely rare phenomenon known as parthenogenesis.
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
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
