The odds of a two-headed, or bicephalic, the snake being born are 10,000 to one, but nevertheless, this albino Honduran milk snake was recently hatched in the U.S.
Staff at conservation group Sunshine Serpents in Florida were incubating seven milk snake eggs but got a huge shock when nine heads emerged because as well as the two-headed snake, one egg contained twins.
Double-header: This albino milk snake was hatched at a wildlife centre in Florida, much to the staff’s surprise
Owner Daniel Parker, a University of Central Florida biologist, said: ‘I did a double-take. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at.’
Often, the term albino refers to white colouring, but for snakes, it simply means a lack of dark pigmentation.
Risk: Biologist Daniel Parker says that the snake may have a hard time surviving in the wild
Biologist Parker says two-headed snakes have been documented to live as long as 20 years in captivity.
With two brains giving commands to a single body, he says the snake, which isn’t venomous, would have a difficult time surviving in the wild.
Food for thought: The milk snake likes to eat insects, small mammals and birds – but this one will want double portions
Milk snakes are said by some to suck milk from cows’ udders, but this is a myth. They do however favour living in barns, as they like cool dark environments, which may be the source of the misconception.
Their diet consists of insects, lizards, birds and small mammals.
Double header: Magda (left) and Lenka make up a seven-week-old African Spurred Tortoise discovered in Slovakia
Another two-headed creature that hit the headlines this year was an African Spurred Tortoise born in Slovakia.
It was given two names Madga (left head) and Lenka – and even had five feet (see picture below).
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12 Weird Pets in History That People Dared to Keep
Different studies prove that there is a special relationship between people with certain personality traits and the type of animal they choose to take in.
It’s widely known that pet possession can have some positive effects on our health and behavior. But does it apply to all kinds of animals?
We have collected some pictures that prove that a pet is a pet as long as it has an owner – no matter what type of animal it may be!
1. Theodore Roosevelt’s Josiah
This little badger was gifted to Theodore Roosevelt during his railroad tour of the American West by a 12-year-old girl named Pearl Gorsuch.
Roosevelt brought it home with him and gave it to his son, Archie. Archie was known to have said that Josiah bit people’s legs sometimes, “but never bites faces.” We guess that’s pretty good.
2. The royal pet of “The King”
This little pet kangaroo was given to Elvis Presley by the booking agent, Lee Gordon. Later “The King” donated the kangaroo to the Memphis Zoo.
3. Tippi Hedren’s Lion, Neil
Actress Tippi Hedren, her husband Noel Marshall, and their daughter, Melanie Griffith had a lion living with them for a while. They thought this would teach them more about lions since they were shooting a movie about them at the time.
Later Tippi regretted it. She said it was “stupid beyond belief” to risk her family’s safety in that way.
4. And when I was a child, my parents wouldn’t let me have a dog…
Every three-year-old Cambodian boy needs to have a friend. In this photo from 2003, Oeun Sambat hugs his best friend, a four meter (13.1 ft) long female python named Chamreun or “Lucky”. Superstitious villagers believed the boy was a son of a dragon in his former life and had supernatural powers.
5. What’s going on around the world today?
These two curious lion cubs, whose photo was taken on December 15, 2005, lived in the house of Tatyana Efremova, a veterinarian in Ukraine. She also possessed several other exotic animals.
6. There’s no place like home.
This photo taken in January of 2009 shows how a three-year-old llama named Socke lived in the house of her owner, Nicole Doepper in Germany. She had been living there from birth due to a leg amputation she endured after an injury caused by some other animals.
7. All pets deserve a hug.
The picture shows Wattana Thongjon and his pet crocodile, Kheng in 2002. Nobody could ever imagine how big he would become when Wattana’s father found him as a little hatchling three years prior. The crocodile ate fresh chicken and lived indoors alongside their two pet dogs.
8. Some girls really do get to have a pony!
Princess was a Shetland pony who drank beer every Sunday and loved to share mealtimes with her owners. In return, she provided therapy for Clarissa who suffered from cerebral palsy. In this photo taken in August of 2004, 10-year-old Clarissa is sharing the family dinner table with her mascot.
9. What’s better than a sloppy lick on a bad day?
This photo was taken back in 2005 in Dhaka. Jatra was a pet monkey, and just like a dog, he licks his master, Sohag.
10. Must be awkward having steak for dinner with a pet like that…
This picture shows Jim Sautner and his pet named Bailey D. Buffalo back on February 11, 2004. Bailey was raised by Sutner and his wife since he was just a little calf. He liked to feel like a part of the family and enjoyed daily visits to the inside of their house.
11. As Laird Hamilton said: “We’re all equal before a wave.”
Here we see Domingo Pianezzi and his alpaca, Pisco in Lima in March, 2010. Pianezzi is a very talented surf coach and Pisco was a great learner.
12. Who needs a horse, when you can ride on an alligator? Especially if you’re small enough…
This photo was taken at the Los Angeles Alligator Farm in the 1920s.
Do you know any other weird pets people have owned in the past? Or maybe you have an exotic pet yourself? We’d be glad to hear about it and see some pics in the comments below.
