Virgin Birth: Eastern Casquehead Iguana Hatches Without a Male

Battersea Park Children’s Zoo is celebrating a remarkable birth: the successful hatching of an Eastern Casquehead Iguana, through parthenogenesis, a rare form of reproduction in which an egg develops without fertilisation by a male.

This is the first time such a birth has occurred at the zoo, and zookeepers are calling it a natural marvel.

“We were completely amazed,” said Jamie Baker, Zoo Manager at Battersea Park Children’s Zoo. “There are no male Eastern Casquehead Iguanas in the zoo, so when we discovered that one of our females had laid eggs, and then one actually hatched after incubation, it was an exciting moment for us all.”

Parthenogenesis is an extremely rare form of reproduction in animals. The baby iguana is a genetic clone of her mother and has been closely monitored by the zoo’s animal care team since hatching.

“She’s growing and developing really well,” added Baker. “She’s in her nursery enclosure right now, feeding on fruit flies and tiny crickets, and being well looked after by our dedicated team. She’s healthy, active, and showing all the right signs of development.”

Visitors to the zoo can try and spot the tiny new arrival in our reptile and amphibian house where her nursery enclosure is on show to the public.

The iguana, named Izzy, is expected to join her mother, Alma, and another adult female in the main enclosure once she matures.

Also known as the cone-headed iguana, or basilisk, this species is found in the tropical rainforests of Central America, where it feeds on a variety of flying insects high up in the canopy.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the wonders of nature and the unexpected ways life can find a way. As members of the modern zoo community, our research and data from this special birth will inform global conservation projects to help better understand this species." said Jamie.