Long-Lived Two-Headed Snake Dies

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jun20/0,4670,RareSnakeDies,00.html

Long-Lived Two-Headed Snake Dies
Wednesday, June 20, 2007

By CHRISTOPHER LEONARD, Associated Press Writer
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ST. LOUIS —

A two-headed snake named "We," the main attraction at the World Aquarium, has died. The 8-year-old rat snake died of natural causes during the weekend, said caretaker Leonard Sonnenschein. Most two-headed snakes survive for only a week or two. "It's terrible news," Sonnenschein said. "People come in every day and say: 'I'm here to see the two-headed snake.'"

Sonnenschein said more than a million people have seen We over the years. Children were especially fascinated by the snake, wondering how two heads could coexist on the same body as We sometimes strained to slither in two directions at once.

"These kinds of questions helped spur the science spirit in children," Sonnenschein said.

Sonnenschein said he bought We from a snake breeder in Indiana for $15,000 when the reptile was just a few weeks old.

A taxidermist is preserving We's body, which should be back on display within a week, Sonnenschein said.

The World Aquarium, located inside the downtown City Museum, acquired We in 1999. Last year the aquarium tried to auction off the rare reptile to raise money for research and conservation programs, asking $150,000, but none of the bids was satisfactory.

The snake had both male and female genitalia, Sonnenschein said. The World Aquarium tried unsuccessfully to breed We with another two-headed snake last year, and had planned to try again this summer, aquarium spokesman David Isserman said.

A Tribute to We

http://www.worldaquarium.org/we.php

WE was thinner and shorter than a pencil when it first arrived to the St. Louis Children's Aquarium in May 1999. It later grew to be almost 5 feet long and almost as thick as a jumbo hot dog. WE was a very inquisitive snake, but with two heads sometimes going one direction or another was almost like a tug of war. WE always recognized its curators whenever they came to check on WE, to feed WE, to change WE's exhibit, to change WE's water or to just give WE one of its regular misting baths.

When WE was fed at one of its two regular feeding days at the World Aquarium, many guests would look in awe at the amazing feat of both heads eating. WE also got to host 2 World Series parties for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Boston Red Sox, the Detroit Tigers. WE was also a big hit at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual convention in 2006. Whatever the age of the visitor and whatever the background of the viewer, WE always provided fascination.

WE was a very special animal. A friend to many and loved by millions worldwide, WE brought special attention to some of the fascinating aspects of nature.

Like many of you, the loving and caring staff at the World Aquarium are devastated by the loss of WE. We ask everyone to consider sending an email about the positive impact WE has brought to their lives. These emails can be sent to [email protected] and with your permission will be included on our website. (Click here to view responses)

We will fondly remember WE.


The WE Memorial Fund



Click Here to Watch a Video of WE Eating


We hope that you might consider making a gift to the WE Memorial Fund to further support the World Aquarium in its mission to provide education, conservation and research programming about our watery world and our role in the balance of life on this planet. Your gift will not only help sponsor the efforts of the World Aquarium, but will also be recognized as being among those who found it within their hearts to memorialize the very special animal cherished by millions throughout the world.




10 Facts about the Albino 2-Headed Rat Snake


Had 4 eyes, 2 brains, 2 tongues and both heads ate regularly.

A two-headed animal, which was a conjoined twin, can be a heritable trait especially if the twins are fraternal and not identical. In this case WE was a hermaphrodite, having both a boy and girl head.

Albinism is the lack of pigment, leaving the albino animal with no color in its body. The pink coloration on the body is due to the red color of blood flowing through the body's capillaries and veins.

Neither head was aware that the other was connected to a single body. This trait is most often found in snakes. Frequently, the two heads compete for food during feeding time.

When one head would eat, the other head didn't necessarily perceive that it had eaten but nonetheless felt the fullness in its stomach.

Often times the left head got dragged along by the right head because the right head was the dominant side. Most two headed snakes are fully dominant on the right side.

Aristotle wrote a description of a two-headed snake as long ago as the fourth century BC.

Abnormalities of this type are usually caused by irregularity of egg incubation temperature due to change in weather patterns.

The two heads go to a single digestive tract. The organs are not duplicated, only the heads.

Possessing two heads didn't seem to be a handicap to this special snake.

Wow, who would expect "We" to just die out of no where, not too long ago he was all over the place for sale, thank God no one paid $150,000 and "We" were to die a few months later. Very unfortunate, but lived a long life and showed something with 2 heads doesnt always perish right away.

Anthony Allis
[email protected]