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A unique two-headed snake is on display at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas (pictured below). Due to this two-headed snake having two brains its body is constantly receiving conflicting messages (go left vs right) which can easily lead to injuries, something this particular snake has dealt with in the past.
In the wild, two-headed animals (turtles, snakes, cows, sheep, etc) almost never survive. Their bodies are in constant conflict because of the competing brains sending different signals.
This particular snake was injured in 2021 after suffering a wound to its left neck. The two-headed western rat snake was initially found in 2016 by a family just outside of Waco who donated it to the zoo.
After the zoo pulled it off display to nurse it back to health, the unique snake is now back and on display for everyone to see in Waco.
In the Facebook post, the Cameron Park Zoo addressed the snake’s previous injures. They said:
“It took until June last year for the wound to fully heal. Now that he has been eating well and the wound has been fully closed for a year, we are excited to put him back out in the freshwater aquarium building. You may notice that his exhibit does not have many obstacles besides grass. We are hoping that this design provides enough cover for the snake to feel secure while also being physically safe, so he does not injure his neck again.”
This two-headed snake is one of the biggest zoo attractions in Texas. As mentioned above, they almost certainly cannot survive in the wild so finding one and keeping it alive in captivity is often the public’s only chance to see a live specimen.
The chances of a snake being born with two heads are roughly 1-in-100,000, according to The Reptarium.