S-s-seeing double: Rare albino snake with two heads bred in Florida

By TED THORNHILL



Rare: This albino milk snake was hatched at a wildlife centre in Florida, much to the staff's surprise

Often, the term albino refers to white colouring, but for snakes, it simply means a lack of dark pigmentation.



Here’s a snake with a split personality.

The odds of a two-headed, or bicephalic, snake being born are 10,000 to one, but nevertheless, this albino Honduran milk snake was recently hatched in the U.S.

Staff at conservation group Sunshine Serpents in Florida were incubating seven milk snake eggs, but got a huge shock when nine heads emerged, because as well as the two-headed snake, one egg contained twins.

Owner Daniel Parker, a University of Central Florida biologist, said: ‘I did a double take. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at.’



Biologist Parker says two-headed snakes have been documented to live as long as 20 years in captivity.

With two brains giving commands to a single body, he says the snake, which isn’t venomous, would have a difficult time surviving in the wild.



Risk: Biologist Daniel Parker says that the snake may have a hard time surviving in the wild



Milk snakes are said by some to suck milk from cows’ udders, but this is a myth. They do however favour living in barns, as they like cool dark environments, which may be the source of the misconception.

Their diet consists of insects, lizards, birds and small mammals.

Another two-headed creature that hit the headlines this year was an African Spurred Tortoise born in Slovakia.

It was given two names Madga (left head) and Lenka – and even had five feet (see picture below).



Food for thought: The milk snake likes to eat insects, small mammals and birds - but this one will want double portions



Double header: Magda (left) and Lenka make up a seven-week-old African Spurred Tortoise discovered in Slovakia



source: dailymail