Are two heads better than one? Not necessarily! Did you know that a genetic mutation causes some snakes (and other animals) to be born with two heads? This rare phenomenon, called bicephaly, occurs when a developing embryo splits into twins, but does not fully separate, resulting in a single-bodied two-headed snake. With two separate brains, each head competes for control, resulting in difficulty hunting and traveling. This makes survival challenging for bicephalic snakes in the wild.

Photo: FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, flickr (Coluber constrictor priapus pictured)
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