Rare two-headed snake found in Indian sanctuary baffles wildlife experts

A rare two-headed snake has baffled the wildlife experts after it was found in the Dhenkikot forest range of Keonjhar wildlife sanctuary in the Indian state of Odisha.

The rare crawler was discovered by Rakesh Mohalik from the Keonjhar district. The snake was newborn and was identified as a wolf snake which is not venomous.

The startling visuals were filmed by Rakesh Mohalik, who is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer. He also researches about various species of wildlife and identified it to be the rarest form found on the face of the earth.

The crawler is 14 cm (6/7 inches) long, has two fully formed heads, meaning it has four working eyes and two flickering tongues.

Both its heads work independently and becomes a challenge for such creatures to survive in the wild as per Rakesh.

"One among the two heads is slightly more developed and both are known to fight over food," Rakesh added.

Two-headed animals are considered in many cultures to be a portent of disaster, and they have frequently appeared in mythology. But although they are rare, they exist in around one in 100,000 live births in the wild.

The snake was later released back into the wild.