A two-headed snake recently found in Northern Virginia may be sent to a zoo.
The two-headed baby Eastern Copperhead was found in Woodbridge last week, the Wildlife Center of Virginia said. A state herpetologist brought the snake to the hospital Thursday for an exam, the center said.
"It appears as though the left head is more dominant — it's generally more active and responsive to stimulus," the center said in a release on its website.
The snake has two tracheas, with the left one more developed, and two esophagi, with the right one more developed. The snake has a single heart and one set of lungs.
"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.
State biologists believe both heads are capable of biting and distributing venom, the Charlotte Observer reported,
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State herpetologist J.D. Kleopfer said in a Facebook post that two-headed snakes are extremely rare because "they just don't live that long." He says he hopes to donate the snake to a zoo facility.
The snake is currently being cared for by a private reptile keeper, Kleopfer said in the post.