Virgin birth: Costa Rican crocodile has baby with herself

A female crocodile in Costa Rica has had a baby... with herself!

A crocodile at a zoo in Central America has made herself pregnant, in what scientists believe could be a world first.

When animals create a baby with themselves it is called a virgin birth. Scientists have seen this behaviour before in species of fish, birds, lizards and snakes.

But it is the first known time a crocodile has done this in captivity.

The female croc lives in a zoo in Costa Rica.

What do we know?

Virgin births in crocodiles may be more common than we realise, scientists say

She had been living alone at Parque Reptilandia and in 2018 she laid 14 eggs.

Inside one of those eggs was a baby croc that scientists have since discovered has 99.9% the same DNA as its mother.

As a result, scientists now believe more reptiles living in the wild might have been able to have a baby with themselves in the past, but without testing, it would have gone unnoticed by humans.

So what could this mean for science?

The crocodile discovery could help prevent their species becoming extinct

Scientists are excited.

Discovering crocodiles are capable of becoming pregnant and laying eggs by themselves is good news for the "vulnerable" species of American Crocodile, that's at risk of becoming extinct.

If you cannot see the quiz, click here.