Forest Dragon Transitions From Female To Male After Her Partner Died, Lives In Harmony With Her Then Rival

Recently, a relatively rare event has happened at the SEALIFE Aquarium in Melbourne, Australia. According to the crew who extremely ascertained the accuracy of this incident, Boyd’s forest dragon has transitioned from female to male. Yes, you haven’t heard it wrong.

She changes her gender after the death of her male partner

Not only you but a lot of people are stunned by this event. It’s extremely rare that a reptile can change its gender itself. The staff at the aquarium confirmed that this is also the first time that this kind of event has occurred with this species.

For those who are unversed, the special dragon species normally lives in Boyd’s Forest. However, it’s now preserved in the Rainforest Zone of SEALIFE Aquarium.

The major transformation

In fact, this dragon was earlier confirmed female as it had mated with a male, and even laid eggs. However, its partner – the male forest dragon – fortunately passed away. After the event, the crew then noticed and realized that the female dragon literally started mimicking the characteristics of its late male partner.

The most outstanding changes can be seen in its crest and skin color. Especially, she stopped laying eggs.

Tim Flair, aquarist of SEALIFE, said in an interview:

“After these changes we also noticed a significant growth spurt and increase in weight. Given it’s extremely uncommon to come across reptiles transitioning, we decided to bring in an ultrasound machine to discover exactly what was occurring here.”

Obviously, not only the appearance but the female forest dragon also witnessed a major transformation in its weight.

The fact is that this shocking gender transition has left the whole team of SEALIFE stumped. They are unable to figure out how a female forest dragon could change its gender. However, the most convincing theory that they believe is because of the absence of a male one in the display.

Sex change in animals

Gender transition in a reptile can be a shocking event but in fact, in the wildlife, we have seen other interesting cases where animals can change sex themselves.

Some species witness this event as a norm. They can be clownfish, moray eels, wrasses, and some other fish species. These species can change sex as an extremely normal anatomical process. Gender transitioning also includes reproductive functions.

Gender transition in the human world

Gender transition in humans is not a strange topic. Especially, in the entertainment world, through the years, we have known a lot of transitioned artists coming out. From reality star in Keeping Up With The Kardashian show, Caitlyn Jenner to Elliot Page, they choose to live the life they want despite the controversies.

However, humans cannot change their gender and they do need the support of experienced doctors and go through a major surgery that is likely to risk their lives. It can be risky but living a life where we can be ourselves is worth it.

It’s not far off the mark to say what happened with Boyd’s forest dragon is extraordinarily strange. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comment section below! We will update you about these special pieces, stay tune!

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