Two-headed snake. Amphisbene is a two-headed snake from ancient Greek myths. Where do two-headed snakes meet?
The old, well-known proverb says that one head is good, and two is better. However, what if these words are interpreted literally: what will promise two heads to one owner? Two-headed snakes, which are relatively often born as a result of mutations or deviations in the early stages of embryo development, know this firsthand.
Similar mutations in snakes are found hundreds, thousands of times more often than other reptile suborders and millions of times more often than other animals. It is believed that most often double-headed cubs appear in water snakes - about 1 out of 1000. But they do not live at all for long, in nature no more than a week, a maximum of a few. Which, in principle, is not surprising - a snake whose heads cannot decide which way to crawl and are constantly at odds with each other, not only unable to hunt, but is also a very simple prey for predators.
In captivity and with special care, snakes with two heads can live long enough. For example, to prevent their heads from fighting for food or, even worse, not trying to kill each other in zoos, they use a rather simple, but quite effective method - they install an opaque partition during a meal, only in this way both heads can safely eat.
Two-headed rat snake named V
By the way, in most cases (genetic mutations) it is not necessary for both heads to do this, the digestive system is something common. So, as a rule, this happens, a more active head sets the tone in the direction of movement and, accordingly, food extraction, passive - acts as an involuntary companion. Two-headed monsters that were born as a result of the incomplete separation of identical twins in the early stages of their development often have separate digestive systems, hearts and some other organs. It is even more difficult for them, these are essentially two beings in one body.
The double-headed albino snake, which was demonstrated at the Yalta Zoo a year ago
Another difficulty these mutants have to deal with is the sexual aspect. The genitals of a snake are either male or female, there is no third way, but with heads it’s more complicated: they can be of different sexes. So it was with a two-headed rat snake named Vi, which was kept in a Berlin zoo, one of the heads and genitals of her was female, and the second was a man.
In Florida, a boa constrictor with two heads, two hearts and two separate digestive systems was discovered. Scientists say they have never seen anything like this, comparing a snake born as a result of a mutation with “two twins in common skin.”
A snake breeder in Florida gave birth to a boa constrictor with an extremely rare genetic defect. The snake has two heads, two hearts and two digestive systems. According to scientists, she looks like two twins, united under a common skin. Such animals rarely live to old age, but some manage to survive to adulthood.
Scientists from the Center for Exotic Animals in Florida studied an unusual snake using x-rays and ultrasound. “I was shocked to see a second heart,” says Dr. Lorraine Tyler. “Usually these animals have only one set of internal organs.”
The owner of the snake brought her to the veterinarians as soon as he found two heads in her. The remaining discoveries were made already in the process of research. Two-headed snakes - the case is not rare, but not an isolated one. This disorder is called polycephaly. However, snakes with a dual set of internal organs are extremely rare.
According to Dr. Tilen, a double digestive system leaves the snake a good chance of survival. “Usually, two-headed snakes have only one digestive system and one set of kidneys, which makes it impossible to get enough food and completely remove waste from the body,” she says. “But this boa constrictor has no such problem.” However, given the fact that two-headed creatures rarely live to adulthood, we cannot confidently predict the fate of this boa constrictor and we will closely monitor it. ”
Boas are one of the viviparous snakes. According to scientists, a genetic malfunction occurred, apparently, at the stage of formation of the embryo, which began to be divided into two twins, but the separation for some reason was not completed.
An unusual snake was born in central Florida - it has two heads, which is very rare. According to Daniel Parker, a biologist at the University of Central Florida, a few months ago a Honduran dairy snake laid eggs. When the specialist went to check the incubator, a big surprise awaited him. “I could not believe my eyes,” Parker shares his impressions.
According to him, usually two-headed snakes have a different color. Thus, a two-headed albino snake is even more rare, Globalist notes. “Perhaps this is the most beautiful two-headed snake ever existing,” the biologist admires.
Albino snakes do not have dark pigmentation on their skin, and shades of red, orange and white are especially pronounced. “Two-headed snakes live in captivity for up to 20 years,” Parker notes. - Given that two independent brains give commands to one body, life turns out to be rather bizarre. Of course, such a snake could not survive in the wild. "
This summer, the Yalta Zoo has acquired an unusual snake with two heads. The miraculous reptile was brought from abroad. As the director of the zoo Oleg Zubkov told a UNIAN correspondent, the two-headed snake, which is born one in a million individuals, settled in the Yalta zoo only during the tourist season. Menagerie rented a reptile from the Germans. Note that the last time a similar instance was shown in Switzerland 20 years ago. “An interesting, unique animal: two heads, two brains, one belly. One head is dominant, the other is more passive. Eat at the same time. During feeding, they put a plastic spatula between their heads so that they do not eat one another, ”said the director of the zoo. By the way, the insurance cost of a snake is 50 thousand euros, according to Ukrainian News.
Recall that in the spring of 2011, a Voronezh scientist got a cat named Luntia with five ears. Vladimir Obryvkov, associate professor of the Department of Anatomy, General Biology and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Voronezh State Agro-University, has been studying the physical anomalies of animals for many years. From local villages and surrounding regions, live exhibits worthy of the Kunstkamera are brought to him - a calf with two heads, tails, two hearts, a lamb - cyclops, chickens with four legs, Siamese twins - piglets, a pig with a trunk, a foal with two noses and three eyes.
In the late summer, acquaintances told Obryvkov about an unusual kitten that lives in Voronezh under pipes near a canteen in the area of \u200b\u200bWork Avenue. The scientist, who never had cats, decided to take her to his place - for science and to the delight of his nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter. “Her two main auricles are normal, the additional auricles are mirrored, rotated 180 degrees,” says Obryvkov. His cat has unusually large paws, which is called acromegaly, on the cheekbones - skin earrings, and on the lower eyelids - islets of wool in the form of pompoms, they write “Lipetsk regional news”. According to the scientist, there are only two such individuals throughout Russia.
We have all known two-headed snakes since childhood. These negative characters are present in many tales. But are they so baseless and unrealistic? As it turns out, the Serpent Gorynych, with two heads, is not such an invention. He really exists. To verify this, just visit the animal exhibition held in Basel (Switzerland). It is clear that such creatures are incredibly few. According to the head of the exhibition, there are only eight of them. Looking at such a creature, you involuntarily recall the tale of a two-headed snake.
In humans, the attitude to such reptiles is not very personal. This is evidenced by numerous drawings, which depict a man with the head of a snake. It is in this form that a werewolf appears before us, possessing superhuman abilities. Well, you don’t need to introduce you to the three-headed Serpent Gorynych. This is a very famous fairy-tale character, moreover, negative. He will either steal the princess, or fight the hero. In this case, it is worth chopping off his head, as it is here - it grows back.
Where did these tales come from? Indeed, as they say, "a fairy tale is a lie, but a hint in it." Does this have a real basis? And if there are Siamese twins, then why not be two-headed snakes?
It is clear that such a reptile in any person can cause not only fear, but also disgust. But nature, apparently, did not begin to consult with anyone about this, and allowed these creatures to be born. Of course, a two-headed snake is a rarity. This is most likely an anomaly, a deviation from the norm for some reason. Among these unusual creatures, for example, is the two-headed snake born in Honduras. She plunged scientists of the University of Florida into a real shock. Shocked not only her two heads, but also the bright, red-orange color of her body, with numerous bright stripes, which is why she was called dairy. Such a reptile is a real exclusive. She is incredibly beautiful and original. However, all albino serpents have an incredibly bright body color, with a predominance of red and orange colors.
The behavior of two-headed snakes in captivity is somewhat different than their single-headed relatives. The thing is that two heads are trying to control one body. At the same time, incoming brain signals can be completely different. If you leave such a snake in the wild, then it will certainly die, as it can’t get its own food. At the zoo, people feed her. Moreover, the heads are constantly in conflict. Such a snake lives in a zoo in Germany.
It is interesting to observe the feeding of a two-headed snake. Before giving her food, a partition is inserted between the heads. Otherwise, they will start to fight. Despite the fact that they have one body, their heads perceive each other as rivals. In this case, one of the goals behaves actively, while the other is passive. During eating, an active head can gobble up a passive one. In some snakes, the stomach is divided into two parts, which communicate with their head. If you deprive one of the heads of food, then she will die of hunger. The second head will continue to live, as if nothing had happened.
An unusual snake was born in central Florida - it has two heads, which is very rare. According to Daniel Parker, a biologist at the University of Central Florida, a few months ago a Honduran dairy snake laid eggs. When the specialist went to check the incubator, a big surprise awaited him. “I could not believe my eyes,” Parker shares his impressions.
According to him, usually two-headed snakes have a different color. Thus, a two-headed albino snake is an even greater rarity. “Perhaps this is the most beautiful two-headed snake ever existing,” the biologist admires.
Albino snakes do not have dark pigmentation on their skin, and shades of red, orange and white are especially pronounced. “Two-headed snakes live in captivity for up to 20 years,” Parker notes. - Given that two independent brains give commands to one body, life turns out to be rather bizarre. Of course, such a snake could not survive in the wild. "
This summer, the Yalta Zoo has acquired an unusual snake with two heads. The miraculous reptile was brought from abroad. According to the director of the zoo Oleg Zubkov, the two-headed snake, which is born one in a million individuals, settled in the Yalta zoo only during the tourist season. Menagerie rented a reptile from the Germans. Note that the last time a similar instance was shown in Switzerland 20 years ago. "An interesting, unique animal: two heads, two brains, one belly. One head is dominant, the other is more passive. They eat at the same time. During feeding, they put a plastic spatula between the heads so that they do not eat one another," said the director of the zoo. By the way, the insurance cost of a snake is 50 thousand euros.
Recall that in the spring of 2011, a Voronezh scientist got a cat named Luntia with five ears. Vladimir Obryvkov, associate professor of the Department of Anatomy, General Biology and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Voronezh State Agro-University, has been studying the physical anomalies of animals for many years. From local villages and surrounding regions, live exhibits worthy of the Kunstkamera are brought to him - a calf with two heads, tails, two hearts, a lamb - cyclops, chickens with four legs, Siamese twins - piglets, a pig with a trunk, a foal with two noses and three eyes.
Last summer, friends told Obryvkov about an unusual kitten that lives in Voronezh under pipes near the dining room in the area of \u200b\u200bWork Avenue. The scientist, who never had cats, decided to take her to his place - for science and to the delight of his nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter. “Her two main auricles are normal, the extra ears are mirrored, rotated 180 degrees,” says Obryvkov. His cat has unusually large paws, which is called acromegaly, on the cheekbones - skin earrings, and on the lower eyelids - islets of wool in the form of pompoms. According to the scientist, there are only two such individuals throughout Russia.
