Virgin stingray that got pregnant by herself is experiencing a new change on her body (2024)

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Virgin stingray that got pregnant by herself is experiencing a new change on her body? ›

Charlotte the stingray, who earned a rabid following ever since she apparently got pregnant all by herself, is undergoing a new change in her body. The 'virgin' stingray is re-growing her dropped tail barb, according to the latest update from the North Carolina-based aquarium science team that takes care of her.

On April 24, Team ECCO shared a video to update fans showing Charlotte the stingray swimming around her tank normally. "Charlotte update for 4-24-24. Charlotte is still doing well. There have been no changes in her behavior, eating, or resting patterns.

Stingray's virgin pregnancy may have a delightfully unusual scientific explanation. Scientists think the pregnancy of Charlotte, a stingray living in a tank without any male rays, is an example of parthenogenesis, a miracle of life more common than most people think.

In the months since her livestream announcement, Ramer tells TODAY.com she now believes Charlotte became pregnant through parthenogenesis. Britannica defines parthenogenesis as a "reproductive strategy" in which a female can develop and produce offspring without fertilization.

Kady Lyons, a research scientist at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, told the Associated Press in a Feb. 13 article that Charlotte would be the first known round stingray to become pregnant through parthenogenesis.

Round stingray facts

They feed on invertebrates such as stomatopods, shrimp and crabs. After a gestation period of approximately three months, round rays may give birth to up to six young (Charlotte is expected to have three or four young), with each newborn measuring up to 8cm wide.

Although they look near identical, rays and skates are actually different. Stingrays are ovoviviparous, meaning the young are hatched from eggs that are held within the body, whereas skates are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs – these eggs are protected by a hard, rectangular case often called a “mermaid”s purse“!

The stingrays at Stingray City have grown used to humans over generations, so they're comfortable being held. You can even kiss them for seven years of good luck! The ability to get so close and personal with these wild animals is just one of the many reasons why Stingray City is worth a visit.

Asexual reproduction is common among stingrays

"This means the offspring are, typically, all female, and this occurs in a situation where there are no males present (i.e., zoo/aquarium usually, or perhaps a secluded natural environment like the deep sea).

Did you know that stingrays give birth to live young and not eggs as most people expect of a fish? Stingrays, like our eagle ray below, are "ovoviviparous" - this means that the mother keeps the eggs inside her body after they hatch, feeding the pups fluids and egg yolks to help them grow.

What are baby stingrays called? ›

Individuals in a litter of stingrays are called pups.

Thomas said female stingrays can store a male's sperm for long periods of time.

On 4 September 2006, Australian zookeeper, conservationist, and television programmer Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray while filming in the Great Barrier Reef. The stingray's barb pierced his chest, penetrating his thoracic wall and heart, causing massive trauma.

Generally, female stingrays give birth once a year. They usually have two to six young at a time. While a baby stingray is still inside its mother, it grows to be quite large and developed so that when it's born, it looks like a little adult. From birth, the young stingray is able to fend for itself.

Despite their reputation as being dangerous, stingray-caused deaths are actually rare. Accidental injuries do happen, but understanding how and why “barbings” occur could help prevent them and help beachgoers overcome the stingray stigma.

The five stingrays were found dead Monday morning. They were last seen alive Sunday. The loss of the stingrays comes about a year after 18 stingrays were found dead Jan. 14, 2022, residing at the Landing at the Russell Aquatic Ecology Center, following equipment malfunction.

Silver, heavily intoxicated and on a downward spiral, brutally attacks the lesser student. After delivering a beating, he promises to make him a student if he does something for him first. He delivers a powerful blow to the head that renders Stingray unconscious.

Adams still isn't sure why spontaneous birth happens, but he has theories. Perhaps it helps babies escape their dying mother to swim another day, he says, or maybe females eject pups to distract predators and facilitate their own getaways.