Animals That Reproduce Asexually
Sharks Parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction where embryos develop from unfertilized eggs, has been observed in captive female animals that are separated from males for extended periods of time.
Komodo Dragons Komodo dragons were not thought to have the ability to reproduce asexually until recently, specifically in 2006 at England’s Chester Zoo. A Komodo dragon who had never had contact with a male in her life laid 11 eggs that tested for her DNA only.
Starfish Sea stars have the ability to reproduce both sexually and asexually, but with an interesting twist. Asexual reproduction in some starfish is achieved through fission, meaning the animal actually splits in two and produces two complete organisms.
Whiptail Lizards Some lizards, like the New Mexico whiptail, are unique in that they can reproduce asexually but still maintain DNA changes from generation to generation.
Python Snakes The first “virgin birth” by a Burmese python, the world’s longest snake, was recorded in 2012 at the Louisville Zoological Gardens in Kentucky.
Marbled Crayfish The marbled crayfish made headlines in 1995 when a German aquarium owner found a previously undiscovered species of crayfish that appeared to have cloned itself.
Amazon Molly Fish A species of freshwater fish native to Mexico and Texas, Amazon molly fish are all female. As far as we know, they’ve always reproduced asexually, which normally would put a species in danger of extinction due to gene loss.
Wasps Wasps reproduce both sexually and asexually. In those that reproduce sexually, females are born from a fertilized egg while males come from unfertilized eggs.
Ants Some ants have the ability to reproduce both sexually and asexually. In the case of common black carpenter ants, fertilized eggs will become female workers, while unfertilized eggs become males.
Aphids Aphids are literally born pregnant, developing embryos within the mother’s ovary one after another, with those developed embryos containing more embryos and on and on (think assembly line or nesting doll).
Hydras Hydras, a kind of small, freshwater organism native to temperate and tropical regions, are known for their asexual “budding.” The hydra develops buds on their cylindrical bodies that eventually elongate, develop tentacles, and pinch off to become new individuals.
Water Fleas Typically found in shallow bodies of water such as ponds and lakes, water fleas are microscopic zooplankton organisms that measure about 0.2 to 3.0 millimeters in size. While they normally reproduce asexually, water fleas have a special trick reserved for difficult times.