Wild snake females on the verge of a feminist movement

Nov 16, 2012 13:52 GMT  ·  By

Two pit vipers gave birth to snake babies in the wild without using a male's help for this. It is the first time such a phenomenon is encountered among female snakes.

The event wouldn't be so amazing if not for the strange circumstances: perfectly suitable male mates were to be found nearby.

Other cases of virgin birth have been noted among animals, but all of them happened with isolated females, in the absolute lack of a male partner, reports The Telegraph.

If you think about it, this is truly amazing beyond the obvious scientific importance. Why not to use a male when you have one?

One could almost say such phenomenona are the first steps to a feminist movement in the wilderness. Having offspring which bear only feminine genetic material at will is like trying to slowly extinguish the male species.

There is something, though, that won’t let us firmly put the things this way.

It might have been the virgin vipers' will what caused the unusual births, but it might as well have been nothing but an accident. That, we cannot tell.