An ultra-rare two-headed snake has been discovered by a shocked couple – and it looks like both heads are hungry.
Venomous copperhead snakes have a bite that can cause extreme pain, throbbing, swelling, and severe nausea, as well as damage to bone and muscle tissue.
When camouflaged, they can also be almost impossible to spot – but that wasn’t the case for one lucky couple, who discovered a two-headed copperhead lurking in their garden.
The snake, which was found in Leslie County, in the US state of Kentucky, has been called one of a kind by local wildlife experts.
“A two-headed copperhead is a first for me,” said John MacGregor, a herpetologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
The life expectancy of a two-headed snake in the wild typically is short because of physical limitations caused by the mutation.
“One big question is if the throat connects to the rest of the intestinal tract,” said Mr MacGregor.
“That is sometimes a problem with two-headed animals; neither head is completely formed, and there is no way they can swallow anything.
“Sometimes one head works and the other head does not. With this snake, both tongues work, so we think there is a pretty good chance that both are functional.”
If the creature survives to adulthood, it could grow to nearly a metre long.
As long as it appears to be in good health, the snake will be displayed at the Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort.
Its director, Heather Teachey, said: “Salato is thrilled to host this unique animal.
“We hope the snake will thrive under our care and be an educational ambassador of a native Kentucky species.”
And Mr MacGregor said: “It is a really interesting animal to have on display and a unique opportunity for the public.”
Read More
Animal stories
-
How some dinosaurs got so big
-
New species of giant dinosaur
-
Toxic chemicals killing killer whales
-
Basking sharks can jump over a metre
The copperhead is one of four species of venomous snakes found in Kentucky. The others are the cottonmouth, timber rattlesnake and pygmy rattlesnake.
Like most North American vipers, it prefers to avoid humans, however the copperhead will often freeze instead of slithering away.
As such, the camouflaged copperhead is sometimes trodden on by humans, who are then bitten by the snake.
Source: Read Full Article