In mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was a multi-headed serpentine with virulent blood and poisonous breath. This water monster was considered as an entrance to the Underworld. Heracles, more prominent as Hercules in Roman mythology, killed the multi-headed serpentine beast as part of his Twelve Labors.
The story may have been just a myth, but snakes with more than one head do exist in real life.
Two-Headed Baby Python
In Australia, a reptile breeder hatched a baby coastal carpet python on Sunday, but he was stunned to see that the baby snake had two heads. Experts call it a Siamese snake, as both heads of the snake are on one end but it only has one tail.
Victorian breeder John McNamara said the two-headed baby python is the offspring of a 5-year-old female snake that he owns and a male snake owned by Ben Robson. Siamese snakes are the result of two yolks that were not properly split, similar to the case of how human Siamese twins are developed in the embryo.
McNamara said he decided to make public the birth of the baby python in order to find a veterinarian who could help determine which head is the snake's dominant one, which reaches the stomach, and which organs are conjoined and could cause complications.
"I've got a lot of mates that breed reptiles," said McNamara. After asking around, he said two-headed snakes are quite rare in the trade.
"To be alive still is even rarer," he said.
Chances For Survival
Bioscientist Ben Phillips said the Siamese python has a reasonable chance at living an extraordinary life. He said the Siamese python needs extra care.
Phillips, who is a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne School of Bio-Sciences, said the first feed is a vital test to figure out which head is dominant.
"Snakes aren't all that clever," said Phillips. "If you throw a mouse to a two-headed snake, it is likely one will grab the front and one will grab the back and they attempt to eat each other."
The Siamese snake's survival largely depends on how well everything -- the organs and body parts -- is integrated inside, he said.
Dan Damblett of Hands on Wildlife Townsville said he has heard of a double-headed rat that survived for two decades. Several two-headed snakes, however, have only lived for a few days.
Meanwhile, Phillips noted that two-headed animals are fascinating because "there is a sense of them being separate entities and the same."
Coincidentally, McNamara gave names to the baby python's heads: one is Katana, while the other is Wakizashi, both are short swords used by samurais. His young daughter calls the python "The Twin Destroyers."
