Two-headed snake comes to the Kansas City metro Saturday
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announced its famous two-headed snake will be at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Kansas City The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has announced that its famous two-headed snake, Tiger-Lily, will be on display throughout the summer at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs, Missouri. The western rat snake twins, which are native to Missouri and are non-venomous, are rare as they never completely separate and have a low survival rate. Tiger Lily was found in Stone County, near Branson, seven years ago and donated to the Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center for public viewing. Despite her conjoined condition, she is still a sought-after attraction due to her love of eating. The MDC warns that while her survival is in a safe and monitored environment, the chances of her survival are much higher.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announced that its famous two-headed snake will be in the metro throughout the summer starting on June 1.
Tiger-Lily, the conjoined and identical western rat snake twins, will be at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs, Missouri on Saturday and will stay there for visitors to see until July 31.
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According to MDC, western rat snakes are native to Missouri and are non-venomous. Tiger-Lily, specifically- though, is quite rare because she is a set of identical, conjoined twins that never completely separated, giving them a low survival rate.
MDC said the name Tiger-Lily came from the family who found her in Stone County, near Branson, around seven years ago. She was then donated to the Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center so the public could see her.
Tiger-Lily is not just an anatomical anomaly because of her conjoined condition, though. She is nearly five feet long and loves to eat, the MDC said. And even though she is a sight to behold, caretakers have made it clear that she is not easy to manage.
“Both heads want to eat, but they share one esophagus,” said MDC Interpretive Center Manager Alison Bleich. “Staff will put a small cup over one head while the other eats, then switch. Otherwise, both heads would try to grab the same mouse.”
Eating is merely one of the struggles facing a two-headed (polycephalous) animal. The MDC said a large challenge, specifically for a two-headed snake, is that they can’t escape into normal holes and crevices from predators like other snakes do in the wild.
However, now that Tiger-Lily is in a safe and monitored environment, the chances of her survival are much higher.
“We encourage visitors to come to Burr Oak Woods Nature Center this summer to view Tiger-Lily, as well as our other snakes, fish, and turtles,” said Burr Oak Woods Assistant Manager Stephanie Kemp.
If you are interested in meeting Tiger-Lily, go to the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center at 1401 Northwest Park Road in Blue Springs. For more information, go to the Burr Oak Woods website.
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