Two-Headed Snake Back On the Job In Texas Zoo

A rare two-headed snake took two years to recover from its self-induced injury, but he’s (they’re?) finally back in his exhibit at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas.

This Western rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus) has a rare condition called bicephaly, in which a single embryo divides into identical twins but does not completely separate. In humans we call them conjoined twins. In the snake’s case each of the heads has a name – Pancho or Lefty.

Pancho/Lefty arrived at the zoo in 2016, having been found in the backyard of a Waco resident. Cameron Park was happy to take it in, and Pancho/Lefty was probably relieved as well.

“This snake probably wouldn’t have survived long in the wild as he has two brains that are often giving conflicting commands to his one body,” the zoo explained on Facebook, “so his movements are more sporadic and uncoordinated than typical one-headed snakes.”

Sure enough, Pancho/Lefty hurt himself with uncoordinated, sporadic movements between the obstacles in his herpetarium.  In February 2021, the snake injured its left neck – presumably Lefty’s – while trying to move in two different directions at once. Zookeepers removed the addled adder from public view to give it time to heal, which took over a year. He’s back now, with a renovated living space to accommodate his condition.

“You may notice that his exhibit does not have many obstacles besides grass,” the zoo said. “We are hoping that this design provides enough cover for the snake to feel secure while also being physically safe, so he does not injure his neck again.”

Photo credit: Cameron Park Zoo via Facebook