I try and resist the urge

to post about all sorts of animal-related curiosities, it is not really interesting for most people to read, but there is a rather entrancing Associated Press story at the NYT this morning about the virgin birth of five Komodo dragons at an English zoo:

In an evolutionary twist, the newborns' eight-year-old mother Flora shocked staff at Chester Zoo in northern England when she became pregnant without ever having a male partner or even being exposed to the opposite sex.

''Flora is oblivious to the excitement she has caused but we are delighted to say she is now a mum and dad,'' said a delighted Kevin Buley, the zoo's curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates.

The shells began cracking last week, after an eight-month gestation period, which culminated with the arrival on Tuesday of the fifth black and yellow colored dragon.

The dragons are between 15.5 and 17.5 inches and weigh between 3.5 and 5.3 ounces, said Buley, who leads the zoo's expert care team.

And here is a very adorable picture...