Two-headed snakes were typically seen as idols in ancient mythology, but the rare creature has only recently been spotted in our modern world.
Florida wildlife officials are caring for a southern black racer snake with separate tongues and mobile heads. The snake has a condition called bicephaly, which occurs when two monozygotic twins fail to separate while in the embryonic development stage, resulting in a creature born with two heads on one body. Officials say the snake will remain in captivity because it makes different decisions by having separate brains that inhibit its ability to feed itself or evade predators.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) shared images of the rare snake on its Facebook page, saying it was found slithering around a home.
“Kay Rogers and her family recently found a rare two-headed southern black racer at a residence in Palm Harbor,” the post reads. The tongues on both heads move and react to movement, but not always in the same way. Two-headed snakes are unlikely to survive in the wild, as their two brains make different decisions.
Although the snake was living in the wild, it found a new home at FWC and will be “cared for and monitored” by staff. This southern black racer has two heads that separate from each other, but a similar creature found in Bali last year isn’t so lucky.
The reptile was found by locals on the streets of a small village in the Tabanan region and the two heads are connected just beyond the eyes. Residents were shocked to find the two-headed snake slithering across a large leaf and some extremely brave people grabbed a stick and examined the strange occurrence.
Unlike the snake found in Florida, this one appears to have difficulty moving its heads because of the way they are connected: the two heads appear to be too heavy for the slender body.
Reptiles are more likely to be born with two heads, as they have many offspring and their eggs are exposed to the environment, which can lead to many factors that could affect the developing embryo. Two-headed snakes tend to be the result of inbreeding in captivity, but there have been rare cases where one is found in the wild.
Video: Locals make offerings to a strange two-headed snake in Bali
