Two-headed snake has shocked scientists

In Florida discovered a snake with two heads, two hearts and two separate digestive systems. Scientists say that this is not met, comparing the snake born as a result of mutations, with the "two twins in a common skin."

The breeder of snakes in Florida, boa was born with an extremely rare genetic defect. A snake has two heads, two hearts, and two digestive system. According to scientists, it's like two twins that are United under a common skin. Such animals rarely live to old age, but some manage to survive to adulthood. Scientists from the Center for exotic animals in Florida examined the snake's unusual with the use of x-ray and ultrasound.

"I was shocked to see a second heart, says Dr. Lorraine tiller works. Usually these animals is only one set of internal organs".

The owner of the snake brought her to the vet as soon as he discovered she had two heads. Other discoveries were made in the process of research. Two-headed snake is not a rare case, but not uncommon. This disorder is called polycephaly. However, snakes with double set of internal organs is extremely rare. According to Dr. Tilen, double digestive system snake leaves a good chance for survival.

"Two-headed snakes usually have only one digestive system and one set of kidneys that makes it impossible to obtain adequate food and completely rid the body of waste, she says. But this boa has no such problem. However, given the fact that two-headed creatures rarely survive to adulthood, we are unable to predict with confidence the fate of the boa and will monitor him closely".

Boas belong to the viviparous snakes. According to scientists, genetic malfunction has occurred, apparently, at the stage of formation of embryo, which began to be divided into two twins, but the separation somehow was not completed.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»