Two-headed snake found in West Bengal, villagers won't turn over snake

Midnapore: A two-headed snake was found in the Ekarukhi village of Belda forest range in West Bengal's Midnapore city.

According to Kaustav Chakraborty, herpetologist at the Forest Department, the team was unable to rescue the snake as villagers who believe in the mythical significance of the two heads didn't want to hand it over to the department.

"This is totally a biological issue like a human being can have two heads or thumbs, similarly this snake has two heads. This doesn't have to do anything related to mythological belief. The longevity of such species increases by keeping them in captivity. The life span of this snake can be increased if it is preserved," said Kaustav.

According to Soma Chakraborty, zoologist, the double-headed snake's belongs to Naja Kautia species.

"This species is also known as Bengal Kharis, Keute and in Hindi, it is called Kala Naag which is venomous. There is no mythological thing in this case. There are many factors behind the formation of two head[s]. It might be formed at the time of splitting of the embryo or maybe due to some environmental factors," said Chakraborty.