Frozen sperm used to breed ‘America’s rarest snake’ at Tennessee zoo, scientists say

Decades of efforts to save a rare snake from extinction led Tennessee scientists to the idea of using frozen sperm — which has now resulted in the successful hatching of three Louisiana pine snakes.

Memphis Zoo shared Aug. 27 that three members of “America’s rarest snake” species hatched from cryopreserved semen and artificial insemination, an achievement they’re describing as a “world-first.”

“The emergence of these three hatchlings summed up five years of reproductive research and 30 years of Memphis Zoo’s use of cutting-edge science and dedication to save the Louisiana pine snake from extinction,” Beth Roberts, a senior reproductive scientist at the zoo, said in a news release.

The team collected, froze and eventually thawed semen from a donor male and inseminated female snakes, the zoo said.

Two females laid 10 eggs total, five of which were fertile and three of which hatched, Steve Reichling, the zoo’s director of conservation and research, told McClatchy News.

The zoo said reptiles often aren’t the focus of this type of research, but the hatchlings could help change the scientific community’s approach.

“This successful production of offspring using artificial insemination and frozen-thawed semen in an endangered snake species demonstrates the potential use of biobanking and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in reptile conservation worldwide,” scientists said.

In July, the zoo announced its first pine snake hatching of the season among 114 eggs laid, which marked the most eggs laid in a single season as part of the zoo’s breeding program, McClatchy News reported.

So far, 94 have hatched this year, but at least 100 are expected by the end of the season, Reichling said.

The zoo has been breeding and releasing Louisiana pine snakes into the wild as the species faces habitat loss and declining numbers. These conservation efforts began at the Memphis Zoo in 2010 and have resulted in the release of over 400 Louisiana pine snakes, some of which have now begun to breed independently in the wild, the zoo said.

Louisiana pine snakes lay the largest eggs of any snake in the country and produce the largest hatchlings, with adults growing as long as 5 feet, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The elusive reptiles spend a lot of time underground in burrows, experts say.

They’re listed as “imperiled” in their namesake state, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

You can watch the remaining pine snake eggs hatch in real time by tuning into the Memphis Zoo’s livestream of the egg box.

This story was originally published August 28, 2024 at 2:14 PM with the headline "Frozen sperm used to breed ‘America’s rarest snake’ at Tennessee zoo, scientists say."