An unusual snake with two heads born in Vivaria in Berkel , California , has already lived for over 7 months , maintaining good condition and interesting behavior. Such cases are extremely rare, and even less often - the animal survives so long.
When East Bay Vivarium workers got a lampropeltis californiae from the incubator of snake of the royal , they were stunned: a snake with two heads hatched from the egg . This phenomenon in biology is known as Siamese Gemini , or Bicephaly ( two -head). X -ray scan showed that the organs in the body only one set - this significantly increased the chances of survival. In many cases, animals with two sets of organs ( two hearts, stomachs , etc.) do not live long - internal conflicts of systems complicate life support . According to Vivarius workers similar two -headed animals rarely born . They survive even less often for more than a few weeks. This snake has become one of the longest living among such cases.
If the snake survives to one year , the Vivarium team will start considering its permanent home - in a specialized zoo or wildlife center . Currently, the animal feeds well sheds normally and does not show the symptoms of the disease.
