By: Natasha Archary
Jean-Claude is a two-headed snake on display at uShaka Marine World. The southern brown egg-eater was a rescue, and will not be released into the world.
The two-headed snake is creating quit a stir by social media users who have never seen something so peculiar.
At 30cm long, the genetically rare reptile can be viewed at the Dangerous Creatures Exhibit at uShaka.
Jean-Claude is essentially a conjoined twin, better known as bicephaly or dicephaly. Shared by the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), Jean-Claude has two spines that are fused.
Both it’s necks move independently but the snake just has one body.
The brown egg-eater reportedly only eats 3 or 4 times every year and according to a vet at SAAMBR, the species doesn’t eat during winter.
Typically, these snakes eat finch eggs, which are a type of bird.
“The radiograph images show clearly that the two spines are fusing. It would then be safe to assume that the two heads share most of the organs, such as the stomach and lungs. The left neck/head is 33mm long, and the right neck/head is 37mm long. The radiographs show the lungs clearly, but it is also obvious that the spinal cord is still very soft and cartilaginous, which is normal for a juvenile. No clear pathology is evident,”
said SAAMBR veterinarian, Dr Francois Lampen about Jean-Claude.
Jean-Claude was rescued from Ndwedwe in KwaZulu-Natal, by snake rescuer, Nick Evans.



