A Komodo dragon in Wichita, Kansas gave birth to two boys last week. However, the mother has not been in contact with a male dragon since 1993 – when she was only 1 year old.

It’s possible that she had been holding onto some sperm for all those years; Komodo dragons have been known to do that. But many are calling the two hatchings “virgin births.” Zoo officials are checking it out.

Apparently, “virgin births” have been documented several times in the animal kingdom. A female hammerhead shark gave birth in Nebraska a few years ago, despite living in an all-female tank. A virgin bamboo shark had kids a year later in Detroit. The phenomenon is called parthenogenesis. It’s common among invertebrates and has occurred a few times in other fish and reptiles.

Parthenogenesis is good in the short term – it allows endangered species such as Komodo dragons to keep on breeding. But it can be terrible down the road. No father means less genetic diversity in the group and possibly weaker offspring for generations to come.

(Photo: Sedgwick County Zoo)