Charlotte, the virgin stingray that got pregnant, hasn't delivered her babies yet. She's believed to be overdue and some experts fear about the condition of her pups.
Charlotte the Virgin Stingray's Babies Are Well
The North Carolina aquarium team that cares for Charlotte gave an update about her pregnancy on Instagram on Saturday. They also shared a video featuring the pregnant stingray. According to them, although the pups are not out yet, they are healthy.
The team said they would continue to wait amiably for Charlotte's delivery. There were no indicators of discomfort in the ultrasound that was transmitted to their colleagues, and everything reportedly appeared well, so there was no cause for concern.
The team added that they would keep the public in the loop if there were new developments about Charlotte's pregnancy. They also expressed their gratitude to those who followed Charlotte's pregnancy journey.
"We appreciate your support throughout this amazing adventure! We are motivated to carry out more Elasmobranch Parthenogenesis research because of your support. #aquarium #teamecco," the team wrote.
The post received several comments from its followers. One said that Charlotte's first pregnancy ultrasound was on Feb. 7 and stingrays' normal gestation takes three to four months, so there's still a month before her babies arrive.
Meanwhile, another concerned netizen said she saw Charlotte when she visited the aquarium in February, and the place was small. The diver was only sitting and didn't dive. The user was still anxious about Charlotte's condition and said that following the development of her pregnancy, they were convinced that "the poor stingray isn't pregnant but sick."
Why Do One Expert Think Charlotte's Babies Are Dead?
Dr. Christopher Lowe, a professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, aired concern about the welfare of Charlotte's pups. According to him, when the aquarium announced her pregnancy, they said she was due "any day now." It has been two months since, so if they expected her delivery at the time, she's already overdue.
Lowe added that it is "certainly possible" that "the ray may abort or the embryos have died or be resorbed by the female and she will never give birth."
Charlotte the stingray's pregnancy attracted global attention because she's a virgin. Some speculated that she had an immaculate conception.
The Aquarium and Shark Lab's executive director, Brenda Ramer, joked that Charlotte's condition was a surprise for Valentine's Day when she shared the news and the impending delivery of four puppies.
At first, Ramer made light of Charlotte's pregnancy by suggesting that it might have been an interspecies encounter because she shared a tank with some sharks. The expert, however, made it clear that this was unlikely to be the case as Charlotte couldn't mate with sharks.
Lowe suggested that Charlotte got pregnant through parthenogenesis. For him, it is the most likely explanation because parthenogenesis is more widespread in sharks and rays than previously believed. If Charlotte has a "viable young," this can be verified through a fast DNA test, the expert added.
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