The serpent was spotted last week in resident's backyard in Woodbridge, Virginia, according to officials with the Virginia Wildlife Management and Control.
The snake is currently being monitored by a state herpetologist after it was examined at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro.
A veterinary hospital spokesman told WTVR : 'It appears as though the left head is more dominant – it's generally more active and responsive to stimulus.
'Radiographs revealed that the two-headed snake has two tracheas [the left one is more developed], two esophaguses [the right one is more developed], and the two heads share one heart and one set of lungs.
'Based on the anatomy, it would be better for the right head to eat, but it may be a challenge since the left head appears more dominant'.
Virginia Wildlife Management and Control owner Rich Perry said he had been fielding calls and messages from around the country from people looking to buy the rare reptile.
For now, the snake will remain with the state herpetologist.
'Wild two-headed snakes are extremely rare,' a spokesperson for the veterinary hospital added.
'They just don't live that long. The herpetologist will continue monitoring the snake; if it survives, it will likely be placed in an educational facility'.
Two-headed snakes are rare and typically do not survive for long in the wild, according to National Geographic.
The rare genetic abnormality can hinder the snake's ability to catch prey.
'Snakes operate a good deal by smell, and if one head catches the scent of prey on the other's head, it will attack and try to swallow the second head,' National Geographic reported.
The snake is currently being monitored by a state herpetologist after it was examined at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro.
A veterinary hospital spokesman told WTVR : 'It appears as though the left head is more dominant – it's generally more active and responsive to stimulus.
'Radiographs revealed that the two-headed snake has two tracheas [the left one is more developed], two esophaguses [the right one is more developed], and the two heads share one heart and one set of lungs.
'Based on the anatomy, it would be better for the right head to eat, but it may be a challenge since the left head appears more dominant'.
Virginia Wildlife Management and Control owner Rich Perry said he had been fielding calls and messages from around the country from people looking to buy the rare reptile.
For now, the snake will remain with the state herpetologist.
'Wild two-headed snakes are extremely rare,' a spokesperson for the veterinary hospital added.
'They just don't live that long. The herpetologist will continue monitoring the snake; if it survives, it will likely be placed in an educational facility'.
Two-headed snakes are rare and typically do not survive for long in the wild, according to National Geographic.
The rare genetic abnormality can hinder the snake's ability to catch prey.
'Snakes operate a good deal by smell, and if one head catches the scent of prey on the other's head, it will attack and try to swallow the second head,' National Geographic reported.
Music: "Danger Storm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Source: Virginia Wildlife Management and Control, Daily Mail, Nat Geo, WTVR
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