FWC: Florida family finds rare, two-headed snake at their residence

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two-headed snake, citrus gazette, florida
Courtesy of FWC

Florida — As if 2020 couldn’t get any weirder.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says they are now caring for a two-headed snake found in Palm Bay, Florida.

The Kay Rodgers family said they found the snake at their residence and notified FWC.

The snake has been identified as a rare two-headed juvenile black racer.

FWC said the birth defect is known as bicephaly. It is uncommon but happens during embryo development when two monozygotic twins failed to separate. When that happens, the two heads remain conjoined on a single body.

According to FWC, the snake head’s tongue flick and the heads react movement. However, sometimes the heads react differently.

FWC said they took the snake in because two-headed snakes rarely survive in the wild is due to the fact that the two brains make opposite decisions that inhibit the ability to feed or escape from its predators. Additionally, the snake could be killed by humans who are uneducated about the snake species.

Some believe that two-headed snakes represent evil.

Black racers are completely harmless and beneficial to the environment, especially around the home.