BRANSON MO NEWS: When it comes to the newest resident at Missouri Department of Conservation’s Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery Conservation Center, Interpretive Center Manager John Miller knows the questions to answer.Yes, baby western rat snakes aren’t black, yes, it’s perfectly healthy and yes, this snake really has two heads.Commonly known as a “black snake,” the western rat snake was discovered in October by teenager Terry Lowery under the deck of his family’s house in Hurley.
“They saw it and thought it was a copperhead and were looking for something to kill it,” Miller said. “They noticed there was two heads and said ‘this might not be a copperhead’ and took pictures and went on the web and found it was a baby black snake, which is now known as the western rat snake.”The snake’s condition, known as polycephaly, isn’t seen often in the animal kingdom, but occurs through the same process that results in conjoined twins.“In normal conditions they would completely split into two, and two egg shells would form,” Miller said. “This started it and the shell formed around it and it stopped at development.”According to Miller, the family wished to donate the snake to a place where it could be on display and cared for. Having the snake in captivity, since October, Miller said hatchery staff watched the snake to ensure it was healthy before displaying it.“A lot of two-headed reptiles don’t live very long,” Miller said. “Maybe more than a month. So, we wanted to make sure it ate, make sure both heads were eating, and make sure it’s pooping.”Despite being a single snake, Miller said the two-heads can cause issues for similar creatures in the wild, leading to low survivability rates.“Part of …
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