Western North Carolina celebrity stingray Charlotte is making waves in local and national news for her mysterious pregnancy.
Charlotte has lived at the ECCO Aquarium and Shark Lab in Hendersonville, NC for eight years. ECCO revealed in February that not only was Charlotte pregnant, she was conceived without any genetic contribution from her male partner.
Here’s what you need to know about stingrays, specifically America’s most popular species right now.
more:Hendersonville stingray may be the first of its species to conceive via parthenogenesis
more:Pregnant stingray Charlotte undergoes another ultrasound as the world waits for ‘miracle’ birth
How did Charlotte the Stingray get pregnant?
“Parthenogenetic pregnancy” is when sex cells develop without fertilization. Parthenogenesis can occur in lower plants such as mosses and lichens, invertebrates such as wasps and ants, and, more rarely, in vertebrates such as charlottes. ECCO team member Kinsley Boyette previously told Blueridgenow that parthenogenetic embryos are “basically clones of the mother.”
Although Charlotte’s case is unique, she is not the first vertebrate to undergo parthenogenesis in captivity. According to National Geographic, the reticulated python Thelma at the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky gave birth to six female offspring in 2014. According to the Guardian, between 2005 and 2006, Komodo dragons Sungai and Flora laid 22 and 25 unfertilized eggs respectively at Chester Zoo in England.
So, no, Charlotte wasn’t “pregnant by a shark,” as a popular internet joke suggests.
Stingray Charlotte due date: Is Stingray Charlotte giving birth?
The ECCO team recently posted an update on Instagram, including information about Charlotte’s unique pregnancy.
“Charlotte is definitely pregnant with a puppy, see the previously posted ultrasound clip,” an ECCO team employee explained in the post. “Charlotte’s pregnancy is unique. Parthenogenetic for this species. There is no precedent for the timing of reproductive pregnancy.
Charlotte’s first ultrasound was in September 2023. Too unique and unpredictable.
more:Could sharks at North Carolina aquariums be getting stingrays pregnant?What an expert says
more:Stingray Charlotte: Ultrasound released, fans made drinks for her as they wait for birth
How long do stingrays get pregnant?
Blueridgenow previously reported that the average stingray gestation period is three to four months, which means Charlotte is well beyond the typical stingray mother’s due date. However, as ECCO team members mentioned, there are currently no known data on parthenogenetic pregnancies.
“We’ll be monitoring them all night, if we’re not here, we’ll be monitoring them all day long. We’re monitoring the pups,” Boyette said in a previous interview with Blueridgenow. “It’s also about making sure the cubs are safe. It would be great if we captured the birth on video. If she’s hiding behind a rock, we’ll try to get the best video we can. She’ll do whatever she wants. Things to do.
Where do stingrays live?
According to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., round rays live in the eastern Pacific, from Humboldt Bay in northern California south to the Gulf of California and Panama City, Panama. They prefer sandy or muddy bottoms but are sometimes found in rocky areas. They most commonly inhabit intertidal zones to water depths below 50 feet, but may be found in water as deep as 300 feet.
What do round stingrays look like?
Round stingrays have smooth, nearly round bodies and no dorsal fin. The Aquarium of the Pacific says their tail is sturdy, less than half the length of their body, and has a true tail fin, unlike the elongated whip-like tails of other stingrays. Round stingrays vary in color from tan to brown to gray and from plain to spotted or mottled, with different pattern tones giving them a mottled appearance. The underside is pure white or light yellow.
How big are stingrays?
According to the Aquarium of the Pacific, the largest round stingray is 22.8 inches long. Maximum reported weight is approximately 3 pounds. Most round rays are much smaller than this, with a disk diameter of 10 inches or less.
What do stingrays eat?
The round stingray’s diet consists primarily of benthic invertebrates such as worms, shrimp, amphipods, clams and other small molluscs, and small fish. They have also been observed feeding on small fish in the upper waters, according to the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Do stingrays attack people?
According to the Aquarium of the Pacific, round stingrays are excellent swimmers, moving by undulating the edges of their oversized pectoral fins and being able to increase their speed significantly. To camouflage, they cover themselves with mud or sand, leaving only their eyes and blowholes exposed.
They are not aggressive but prefer to keep a safe distance from humans. Females usually stay deeper in the habitat, entering shallow waters only during the breeding season.
How long do stingrays live?
The Aquarium of the Pacific says a stingray’s lifespan is estimated to be about 14 years.
Iris Seaton is a popular news reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times, a USA TODAY Network affiliate. Contact her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
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