WAYNESBORO, VA – The discovery of a a two-headed eastern copperhead is a rarity, Virginia wildlife officials said. The snake was found in northern Virginia. Photos of the baby venomous snake are going viral across the internet.
The two-headed copperhead was found Thursday in northern Virginia in someone's backyard in Woodbridge on September 20.
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The Wildlife Center of Virginia's examination of the baby snake which included radiographs.According to the center, both heads of the snake are functional but the left head appears to be more dominant as 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,” staffers with the center wrote on it’s website. “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.”
The center said two-headed snakes like the baby copperhead typically don’t live long, but if it does live it will likely be kept in an educational facility. The herpetologist will continue monitoring the snake.