Chinese researchers have decoded the DNA of a unique snake species that reproduces without males, uncovering their fascinating genetic adaptations.

The findings were published on Thursday Beijing time in the journal Science Advances by a team from the Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The flowerpot snake (Indotyphlops braminus), one of the Earth's smallest snakes measuring less than 20 cm, gets its name from its tendency to hide in potted plant soil. Unlike most animals, every known flowerpot snake is female and can reproduce independently.

Using multi-omics techniques, the team led by the researcher Li Jiatang of the institute revealed that the ancestral genome underwent a rapid speciation event approximately 41 million years ago, when different chromosomes fused together.

Scientists discovered that the snake's certain genes for fighting diseases and making sperm have become inactive. These changes appear to help its different sets of DNA work together smoothly, making it possible for females to reproduce successfully without males.

Special "DNA repair" genes, such as ALKBH2 and MDC1, work overtime in the snakes' ovaries, acting like quality controllers to ensure the single-parent reproduction quality. This helps maintain healthy offspring despite the lack of genetic mixing that normally occurs with two parents.

By uncovering the genomic mechanisms behind the flowerpot snake's all-female reproduction, this study challenges traditional views that asexual reproduction inevitably leads to an evolutionary dead end. Instead, it provides a new perspective on how all-female species may maintain genetic diversity and adapt to diverse environments without the need for male contribution, Li said.