A two-headed snake that wowed biologists and residents when it was found in a Northern Virginia yard in September has died, The Washington Post reports. The two-headed baby Eastern Copperhead was found in Woodbridge in early September, the Wildlife Center of Virginia said. According to The Post, JD Kleopfer, the state’s herpetologist, announced the reptile's death early this week. The snake had two tracheas, with the left one more developed, and two esophagi, with the right one more developed. The snake also had a single heart and one set of lungs. When the snake was discovered, Kleopfer said the find was extremely rare because "they just don't live that long." You may be interested in reading:A Young Two-Headed Eastern Copperhead Was Found in Northern Virginia
A young two-headed Eastern Copperhead was found in Northern Virginia. The finder emailed the Virginia Herpetological Society for identification; DGIF was then alerted and the state herpetologist picked up the snake. This week, he brought it to the Wildlife Center for radiographs. Dr. Ernesto [who is a big fan of venomous snakes] examined the baby copperhead. It appears as though the left head is more dominant – it’s generally more active and responsive to stimulus. Radiographs revealed that the two-headed snake has two tracheas [the left one is more developed], two esophaguses [the right one is more developed], and the two heads share one heart and one set of lungs. Based on the anatomy, it would be better for the right head to eat, but it may be a challenge since the left head appears more dominant. Wild two-headed snakes are extremely rare – they just don’t live that long. The herpetologist will continue monitoring the snake; if it survives, it will likely be placed in an educational facility. Please note: This snake is not currently at the Wildlife Center of Virginia; it's in the care of the state herpetologist.
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