Two-Headed Snake for Sale for $150,000

And I just thought it was a rediculous price when a certain breeder had one of these for sale for $30,000 2 or three years ago.
Either this isn't actually the only one in the world, or it's the same snake I don't know, but I remember another adult being offered for sale on kingsnake.
Here's a link to the auction too, Two headed snake auction

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ST. LOUIS - For sale: One albino snake. Has two heads. Asking $150,000 or best offer. The World Aquarium in St. Louis has been home to We, a one-of-a-kind two-headed albino rat snake, since 1999. President Leonard Sonnenschein has decided to sell the reptile, and bidding on reptileauction.com will start at $150,000.

"It's an amazing snake," Sonnenschein said Monday. "When people see it they are awe-struck."

The auction was expected to close within 10 days.

The 6 1/2-year-old snake came to the aquarium's attention when its previous owner distributed a circular offering it for sale days after its birth. The aquarium paid $15,000 knowing most two-headed snakes don't live more than a few months.

But We has survived and thrived. An inch thick and 4 feet long, she is a healthy size for a rat snake. Her body is white, but the heads have a reddish appearance.

We has survived because, unlike some two-headed animals, both mouths are connected to the same stomach, Sonnenschein said.

The snake has been in the spotlight before. In 2004, a disgruntled City Museum worker stole We. Authorities found the snake in the garage of the man's home in Illinois.

"He thought he was going to sell it," Sonnenschein said. "The thing is, it's the only one in the world."

Link to story

Do you want to know what the saddest part is? That is a black rat snake and even though it's albino Missouri doesn't care and since it's native to MO it is illegal to sell. I've posted that question to them on that ad.

The Springfield MO paper stated that they thought one head was male and the other was female. WOW!

I read that in another article which was, other than that statement the same word for word, so I didn't post it.
I did wonder though on what they based that idea. Being as how there's no way to determine the sex by anything to do with the head and I've never noted any differences in behavior between the sexes outside of breeding related things.
It just seemed to me to be an odd statement to make.

I heard on the news that Ebay was going to allow the auction on their site even though they prohibit it.

The ad on RA sounds more like a scam.

What I find humorous, is that the reptileauction webmaster is already posting a warning for asking proper questions. What a odd thing to do.

Does reptileauction get a percentage of the sales? I have never used them so I really do not know.

Originally Posted by Art Klass

The Springfield MO paper stated that they thought one head was male and the other was female. WOW!

Conjoined twins are IDENTICAL. The animal's sex is determined by organs distal to the head. The snake is either female or male, it can not be one of each. So, a claim such as referenced coming from a Missouri newspaper is nothing more than showboating and sensationalizing.

Still, anyone gullible enough to pay $150K for ANY snake might just believe such inaccurate and preposterous claims. Even considering the couriousity factor, no snake is worth that much to me at any rate.

Has anyone been reading the Q&A on this. They are actually promoting the breeding of this snake to prove out a two-headed gene. Well actually, they only promote the breeding to prove out fraternal twins**wink, wink**.

Response on this item from (seller): Sellingblock
Post on: Sat Jan 07, 08:16 PM
A Follow-up from The World Aquarium:

Some scientists believe being two-headed is a problem with egg division that is probably not passed on. Some scientists believe that since twinning is heritable that if the snake is a twin it could be bred for. It is also possible that there are two headed snakes that are identical twins and some two-headed snakes that are fraternal twins. To form identical twins, one fertilized egg (ovum) splits and develops two babies with exactly the same genetic information. This differs from fraternal twins, where two eggs (ova) are fertilized by two sperm and produce two genetically unique children, who are no more alike than individual siblings born at different times. Twins are slightly more likely to be female. The incidence of twins doesn't skip generations in other species. It is more likely to conceive fraternal twins if the mother is a fraternal twin in other species.

It is our hypothesis that one head is a female and the other head is a male. Based upon the about data, it is likely that We is a conjoined fraternal twin. Based on the fact that fraternal twins are more likely from, fraternal twins it is possible that more than a freak, We is a genetic probability. It will be interesting to see if We is bred, what the outcome progeny are and what the possibilities are if they are bred back to the parental generation.

The previous quote was in response to this

Question about this item from (buyer): Thorhall1964
Post on: Sat Jan 07, 02:10 PM
I have seen We on many occasions and s/he is a magnificent creature! I am also very familiar with the World Aquarium, it's outstanding programs and leadership. As a person involved with shuffling the genetics of living organisms I am interested to know if the trait of having two heads could be selected for in future (potential) generations of We's progeny. ie: is is plausible to cross We with another black rat snake, then back cross one of the male progeny to it's mother to try to stabilize the two headed trait? Or do you think the two headed trait is just a "freak" occurrence and not one that could be stabilized or bred for? Crazy -- but I had to ask, it would be an interesting experiment.

I dont know why, but I think I lost some IQ points reading that.

Well, the auction is closed with no bids, surprise surprise.
I still would LOVE to know on what they are basing the claim that each head is a different sex.
As for it being genetic, I suppose we can't say it's definately not at this point, but it can be said that there has been no instance of two headed snakes producing like offspring, and the probability of that snake doing so is very, very minute so say the least.
I would be ashamed to use such a suggestion as a selling point. Of course I would also be ashamed to ask 150K for it and embarrassed to make the statement that one head was male and one was female.

It does strike me as interesting that if they do actually think the snake has a possibility of being genetic then why on earth would they be offering it for sale.
Why settle for 150K when they could make millions on a proven genetic two headed albino gene.
Perhaps they have tried breeding her, but just can't figure out what it takes to get ratsnakes to breed.