The flowerpot snake (Indotyphlops braminus) is known as the world’s only obligate parthenogenetic snake, reproducing exclusively through all-female parthenogenesis. This small snake has become widely distributed across tropical and subtropical regions, largely due to accidental transport in potted plants. Its unusual reproductive method has long fascinated biologists.
Recently, a research team led by Prof. LI Jiatang from the Chengdu Institute of Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has assembled a high-quality, chromosome-level genome and partitioned it into three distinct subgenomes (A, B, and C). This study, published in Science Advances, reveals the unique triploid parthenogenetic reproductive mechanism of the flowerpot snake and sheds new light on the…