Reptile expert Brian Barczyk filmed the mutated snake, named Ben and Jerry, eating two mice and the hish video has since gone viral.
He shared it with his fans on Instagram, saying, “So my two headed snake Ben and Jerry are eating right now. Actually, they don’t always eat at the same time, in this case, they both eat from each side.
The brown and yellow snake is seen sᴡᴀʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ to baby mice slowly but since it only has a digestive system, some viewers questioned if it would choke on food.
One loyal fan commented: “If you watch his vlog, it mentions one of them, I think Jerry, he won’t have food unless Ben is already eating and for the most part Ben eats all the time but he also tried to get Ben involved. Jerry. ”
Another wrote: “That’s crazy! I can’t wait to go back to Michigan and see the place!” A third asked: “Would anyone care to explain how a two-headed snake arises…how does this mutation happen?”
The snake has a condition called ʙɪᴄᴇᴘʜᴀʟʏ, and it occurs from the incomplete division of an embryo. Interestingly, Ben and Jerry are one of an estimated 10,000 snakes with the condition.
Most snakes with this condition don’t survive very long, but Ben and Jerry seem to be an exception. Barczyk explained that “99.9% of two-headed animals never see their first day 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡, but once they survive to adulthood, like Ben and Jerry, they often live full lives.”
Barczyk says he expects the animal to live for 20 to 25 years, explaining that they can eat separately but share the same digestive system.
Barczyk, who works at a reptile zoo in Michigan, apparently bought the snake from a friend. “I had to beg him for half a year until he sold me,” Barczyk said.
“We have about 10 unique animals [in the Reptarium], including Ben and Jerry, also a two-headed tortoise, and several one-of-a-kind ᴀʟʙɪɴᴏ and other color mutations.”
