A boa constrictor with two heads, two hearts and two separate digestive systems has been discovered in Florida. Scientists claim that they have never seen anything like this before, comparing the snake born as a result of a mutation to “two twins sharing the same skin.”

A snake breeder in Florida gave birth to a boa constrictor with an extremely rare genetic defect. The snake has two heads, two hearts and two digestive systems. According to scientists, she looks like two twins united under a common skin. Such animals rarely live to old age, but some manage to survive to adulthood.
Scientists from the Exotic Animal Center in Florida studied the unusual snake using X-rays and ultrasound. “I was shocked to see the second heart,” says Dr. Lorraine Tyler. - Usually such animals have only one set internal organs».

The snake's owner brought it to the vets after discovering it had two heads. Other discoveries were made during the research process. Two-headed snakes are not rare cases, but they are not isolated either. This disorder is called polycephaly. However, snakes with a double set of internal organs are extremely rare.

According to Dr. Thielen, double digestive system leaves the snake a good chance of survival. “Typically, two-headed snakes only have one digestive system and one set of kidneys, which makes it difficult to obtain adequate nutrition and completely eliminate waste from the body,” she says. “But this boa constrictor doesn’t have such a problem.” However, given the fact that two-headed creatures rarely survive to adulthood, we cannot confidently predict the fate of this boa constrictor and will be closely monitoring it.”

Boas are one of the viviparous snakes. According to scientists, a genetic failure apparently occurred at the stage of formation of the embryo, which began to divide into two twins, but for some reason the division was not completed.

An unusual snake has been born in central Florida - it has two heads, which is very rare. According to University of Central Florida biologist Daniel Parker, a Honduran milk snake laid eggs several months ago. When the specialist went to check the incubator, a big surprise awaited him. “I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Parker shares his impressions.

According to him, usually two-headed snakes have a different coloration. Thus, a two-headed albino snake is even more rare, notes Globalist. “Perhaps this is the most beautiful two-headed snake that has ever existed,” enthuses the biologist.

Albino snakes have no dark pigmentation on their skin, and shades of red, orange and white appear especially brightly. "In captivity, two-headed snakes live up to 20 years," Parker notes. - Considering that two independent brains give commands to one body, life turns out to be quite bizarre. Of course, such a snake could not survive in wildlife".

This summer, the Yalta Zoo acquired an unusual snake with two heads. The miracle reptile was brought from abroad. As the director of the zoo, Oleg Zubkov, told an UNIAN correspondent, the two-headed snake, which is born once in a million individuals, settled in the Yalta Zoo only for a while tourist season. The menagerie rented the reptile from the Germans. Note that last time a similar specimen was demonstrated in Switzerland 20 years ago. “An interesting, unique animal: two heads, two brains, one belly. One head is dominant, the other is more passive. They eat at the same time. During feeding, a plastic spatula is placed between the heads so that one does not eat the other,” said the director of the zoo. By the way, the insurance cost of the snake is 50 thousand euros, Ukrainian News notes.

Let us recall that in the spring of 2011, a cat named Luntya with five ears settled with a Voronezh scientist. Associate Professor of the Department of Anatomy, General Biology and Histology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Voronezh State Agrarian University Vladimir Obryvkov has been studying the physical anomalies of animals for many years. From local villages and nearby regions they bring him living exhibits worthy of a cabinet of curiosities - a calf with two heads, tails, two hearts, a Cyclops lamb, chickens with four legs, Siamese twins - piglets, a pig with a trunk, a foal with two noses and three eyes.

Last summer, acquaintances told Obryvkov about an unusual kitten living in Voronezh under pipes near a canteen in the Rabochy Prospekt area. The scientist, who had never had a cat, decided to take her in - for science and for the joy of his nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter. “Her two main ears are normal, the additional ones are mirrored, rotated 180 degrees,” says Obryvkov. His cat has unusually large paws, which is called acromegaly, skin earrings on the cheekbones, and islands of hair in the form of pompoms on the lower eyelids, writes Lipetsk Regional News. According to the scientist, there are only two such individuals in all of Russia.

Amphisbaena - mythical creature from Greek folklore. From Greek, “amphisbaena” is translated as “moving in two directions.” It is a large, extremely poisonous snake with two heads. Habitat - Libyan desert. Ancient Greek myths claimed that the two-headed reptile was born from blood dripping from a sack as the murderous hero Perseus flew over the desert with his terrible trophy.

Lucan's Pharsalia lists real and mythical snakes that were encountered by Cato's warriors in the deserts of Africa. One of the most cumbersome among the snakes described by this source is the ponderous amphisbaena. It was described by Pliny the Elder as an extremely poisonous snake. Brunetto Latini in his “Treasury”, an encyclopedia, describes this creature in detail. According to him, it is a snake with two heads, one of which is located where other snakes are, and the second is on the tail. Both heads are poisonous and can sting, and their eyes glow like candles or lit torches.

In the seventeenth century, Thomas Browne argued that the existence of such a snake was impossible, since any Living being has top and bottom, front and back, left and right sides, but amphisbaena has neither beginning nor end. In the eighteenth century, Albertus Magnus, the theologian and philosopher, also did not believe in the existence of such a snake. Leonardo da Vinci sneered at its description, saying that it seemed to this snake that one head was not enough to release poison.

Amphisbaena is mentioned not only in Greek folklore. In several American regions and on the Antilles, this name is given to a reptile, more often called “two-headed snake” and “mother ant”. According to legend, ants carry food to her. In addition, if you cut the amphisbaena in two, then both halves will grow together again.

Amphisbaena was credited with medicinal properties, which were described by Pliny the Elder. He also wrote that amphisbaena can move by clinging to the other with one mouth and rolling like a wheel. He is contradicted by Lucan, who says that a snake with two heads cannot decide which way to crawl and falls powerless, unable to come to an agreement with itself. But she is not afraid of any cold. Isidore of Seville calls Amphisbaena the only snake that goes out on frosty days or nights without fear and does not freeze, thanks to which it can live in any climate. In general, descriptions vary from source to source.

Amphisbaena is one of the heraldic animals, like. She was depicted in different ways on coats of arms. There are winged specimens, as well as variants with one bird's head, mostly the back one. There are images of amphisbaena with legs and horns.

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≈ Amphiswena / Two-walker, two-walker, two-headed

← Greek - “moving in two directions.”

The name comes from the belief that it has heads at both ends of its body and that it can move forward or backward with equal ease.

Similar to a basilisk, but with a head at each end; able to see both ways.

Amphisbaena is the name of a reptile that lives in the Antilles and in some regions of America, colloquially called “here and there”, “two-headed snake” and “ant mother”. They say that it is fed by ants, and if you cut it into two parts, they will unite.

Antiquity

It was known to the Greeks, although the amphisbaena described by Lucan was not yet a two-headed snake, but a two-headed snake: “Terrible, with a double head raised up, amphisbaena.” Later it is determined that her heads are located at both ends of her body, her eyes are blazing with fire, and she herself is so hot that she melts snow. The mention of a bulky amphisbaena with two heads is found in the Pharsalia among the list of other snakes encountered by Cato’s warriors in the deserts of Libya. She ate the corpses of soldiers.

In Pliny, it is one of the varieties of the serpent, which has another head at the end of the tail “... as if one head was not enough for it to spew out its poison.” He glorified its healing properties.

Emblematics

Amphisbaena is a snake with two heads, one in its usual place, the other on its tail; she can sting with both, she moves nimbly, and her eyes burn like candles [Brunetto Latini “Treasury”]

Prophetesses and women from upper strata society, emphasized their position with bracelets in the shape of an amphisbaena.

The image of amphisbaena was often intertwined with the symbolism of Ouroboros - in bestiaries and book miniatures she is usually depicted biting her tail (see picture at the beginning of the page).

In an Italian manuscript of the 16th century, belonging to Count Pierre V. Piob, amphisbaena is called the keeper of the “Great Secret”.

Heraldry

By default, it is depicted as a snake with two clawed feet, often with folded (but not spread) bird-like wings, and a tail topped by a second head. Both heads, as a rule, have ears and/or horns, which, being indifferent attributes, are indifferent to description.

In addition to the amphisbaena itself, there is the term “amphisbaena(ovy/aya)” applied to other coat of arms figures from among living beings. Usually an additional head is given to figures depicting snakes or dragons. For example, a winged serpent (with webbed wings) bat) with an additional head is called an "amphiptera amphiptera". Amphisbaenian snakes, by default, have the same heads, with the exception of the Aspid, whose “main” head is crowned, but whose “secondary” head is not. Amphisbaenian dragons, unlike snakes, have their heads not at the end of their tail, but below it (that is, literally “at the end of the body”). Frequent images where the head is still on the tail are more characteristic of shyness than of the artist’s awareness. If there are two additional heads (an almost hypothetical case), we are dealing with a “double-amphisbene” individual.

Literature

Amphisbaena, along with the scorpion and the adder, is mentioned by John Milton as a form often assumed by the demonic assistants of Satan.

“In the 17th century, Sir Thomas Browne, convinced that there is no animal that does not have top and bottom, front and back, left and right side, denied the existence of amphisbaena, in which both ends are anterior. Nowadays, there is a lizard named after this dragon that has a pattern on its tail that looks similar to its head. When a threat arises, the lizard raises its tail and rushes back and forth to confuse the attacker" [H. L. Borges]

Psychology

According to Diehl (Curl(15) - suggests (probably) the expression of horror and pain caused by dual contradictory situations. Like all mythical animals, she has the ability of the human mind to remake the real world in accordance with superlogical rules, creating such forms in which motivating psychic powers.

According to legend, when a female amphisbaena hatches her eggs, one of her heads remains awake all the time. Nowadays, there is a “namesake” of amphisbaena - a lizard with a pattern on its tail that resembles a head. When attacked, it raises its tail and swings it to confuse the attacker.

Amphisbaena - This mythical snake was described in detail in the 1st century AD by the Roman writer, scientist and political figure Pliny the Elder, and after him by other authors. Amphisbaena has two heads: one in front, the other on the tail. Thanks to this, she is able to move in any direction without turning around, and is twice as dangerous as anyone else. poisonous snakes. Her eyes glow like lamps. In addition, Amphisbaena, unlike all other snakes, is not afraid of the cold and can live in any climate. However, in the 13th century, the German philosopher and theologian Albertus Magnus was not inclined to believe in the reality of the existence of Amphisbaena. And Leonardo da Vinci wrote with undisguised irony regarding Pliny’s notes: “She has two heads... as if it weren’t enough for her to release poison from one place.” They say that Amphisbaena is fed by ants and that if you cut it into 2 parts, they will unite.

We have all been familiar with two-headed snakes since childhood. These negative characters are present in many fairy tales. But are they so groundless and unrealistic? As it turns out, the Serpent Gorynych, with two heads, is not such an invention. He really exists. To see this, just visit the animal exhibition taking place in Basel (Switzerland). It is clear that such creatures are incredibly rare. According to the exhibition manager, there are only eight of them. Looking at such a creature, you involuntarily remember the fairy tale about the two-headed snake.

Humans do not have a very favorable attitude towards such reptiles. This is evidenced by numerous drawings depicting a man with the head of a snake. It is in this form that a werewolf with superhuman abilities appears before us. Well, there’s no need to introduce you to the three-headed Serpent Gorynych. This is a very famous fairy tale character, and a negative one at that. He either steals the princess, or fights with the hero. At the same time, as soon as you cut off his head, it immediately grows back.

Where did these fairy tales come from? After all, as they say, “a fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it.” Doesn't this have a real basis? And if there are Siamese twins, then why not snakes with two heads?

It is clear that such a reptile can cause not only fear, but also disgust in any person. But nature, apparently, did not consult anyone on this matter, and allowed these creatures to be born. Of course, a two-headed snake is very rare. This is most likely an anomaly, a deviation from the norm for some reason. Among these unusual creatures, for example, refers to a two-headed snake native to Honduras. It left scientists at the University of Florida in a real shock. Not only were its two heads shocking, but also its bright, red-orange body color, with numerous light stripes, which is why it was called milky. This reptile is truly exclusive. She is incredibly beautiful and original. However, all albino snakes have incredibly bright body colors, with a predominance of red and orange colors.

The behavior of two-headed snakes in captivity is somewhat different than their one-headed relatives. The whole point is that two heads are trying to control one body. In this case, the incoming brain signals can be completely different. If such a snake is left in the wild, it will certainly die, since it will not be able to get food for itself. People feed her at the zoo. At the same time, heads constantly conflict with each other. Such a snake lives in a zoo in Germany.

It is interesting to watch the feeding of a two-headed snake. Before giving her food, a partition is inserted between the heads. Otherwise they will start fighting. Despite the fact that they have the same body, their heads perceive each other as rivals. In this case, one of the heads behaves actively, and the other passively. During a meal, the active head can devour the passive one. In some snakes, the stomach is divided into two parts, which communicate with its head. If one of the heads is deprived of food, it will die of starvation. The second head will continue to live as if nothing had happened.