Can reptiles lay eggs without a male?

I have heard of the story of a pet turtle kept alone laid an egg.
Is it true that reptile such as lizard, snake, turtle all can lay eggs with just a female? No male friend is required to produce the unfertilized eggs?

Some species, yes. It is very rare with snakes, but some species of lizards and turtles will lay unfertilized eggs.

What can you do with the unfertilized reptile eggs?

Can they still be fertilized?

Nah, there isn't anything to do with them. Sometimes you get unfertilized eggs in a viable clutch, called slugs. They have to be fertilized in the mother. Many species can retain sperm, and produce multiple viable clutches from a single breeding, but they still need to be fertilized at the right time.

I was under the wrong impression that the egg laying reptiles do not mate. Got the wrong idea from the fish, because only live-bearer fish would mate. Egg laying fish's eggs are fertilized by the male after they leave the mother's body.

There have been some weird studies with amphibians, frogs mostly, that show than can change sex after becoming an adult completely naturally, and this has lead to speculation of weather a frog may be able to fertilize it's own eggs. Most amphibian eggs are fertilized outside the body, whereas reptile eggs, in both oviparous & viviparous species, must be fertilized inside the mother, similar to birds.

Interesting. We learn something new every day.

in chameleons, certain species lay eggs, and some have live birth, but the ones that do lay eggs will have around 2 clutches a year regardless if they were with a male or not. they WILL lay infertile clutches and if they have no digging area to lay them, they will eggbind and die...

Wow, I didn't know any species of chameleon were viviparous. What species of chameleons are there that give live birth?

(05-31-2012, 02:31 AM)Fishbone Wrote: Wow, I didn't know any species of chameleon were viviparous. What species of chameleons are there that give live birth?

many of the montane species which are mostly characterized by their horns. a specific species are the jackson's they incubate internally and will have clutches through live birth of up to 30 offspring. while other species like veileds and panthers lay eggs

Wow. I learn something new every day. Thanks Manda

(05-31-2012, 02:34 AM)amanda509 Wrote: many of the montane species which are mostly characterized by their horns. a specific species are the jackson's they incubate internally and will have clutches through live birth of up to 30 offspring. while other species like veileds and panthers lay eggs

Oh, so there are reptiles that can give live birth. Good to know.
I used to think they are all egg layers.