Question

Why is whiptail lizard referred to as parthenogenetic ?

Answer 1

Because they reproduce asexually. A female whiptail lizard mates with other female whiptail lizard and without fertilization with sperm they give birth to other female offsprings. Out of two, one lizard gives twice the set of chromosomes while mating with other female lizard. Usually one set of chromosome is from male and the other is from female but in this case both sets of chromosomes are given by a single lizard while mating. These two sets recombine and form genetically diverse offspring. Mating with male is not there and hence they reproduce asexual only from female sex. These lizards reproduce by parthenogenesis.Due to this they are called parthenogenetic. Parthano - means virgin and genesis - birth lit. ' virgin birth'.

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