A crocodile has made herself pregnant.
A crocodile was found to have made herself pregnant
The reptile had been kept in captivity in a Costa Rica zoo and had no contact with males, but a fully-formed foetus was found inside one of her eggs.
The foetus was 99.9 per cent genetically identical to the mother, confirming that it did not have a father.
It marks the first recorded instance of a "virgin birth" in the reptile species although they have previously been documented in birds, lizards and fish.
Researchers from Virginia Tech university suggest that virgin births could have been happening in crocodiles without anybody realising.
The experts said: "It is not uncommon for captive reptiles to lay clutches of eggs, given the period of isolation from mates, these would normally be considered non-viable and discarded.
"These findings therefore suggest that eggs should be assessed for potential viability when males are absent.
"Furthermore, given that (virgin births) can occur in the presence of potential mates, instances of this may be missed when reproduction occurs in females co-habited with males."