A two-headed snake was found in Midnapore City, West Bengal, and villagers refused to hand the snake to the rescuers due to mythological beliefs.
Kaustav Chakraborty, a herpetologist with the Midnapore City Forest Department, said they failed to rescue the snake after residents of the Ekarukhi Village refused to hand the snake over to the rescuers due to mythology.
Kaustav said, “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.”
Kaustav added, “The longevity of such species increases by keeping them in captivity. The life span of this snake can be increased if it is preserved.”
Soma Chakraborty, a zoologist, said the two-headed snake belongs to the Naja Kautia species.
The snake is called as the Bengal Kharis or the Keute. The snake is called Kala Naag in Hindi, an extremely venomous snake.
Soma added, “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.”
Soma continued, “There are many factors behind the formation of two heads. It might be formed at the time of splitting of the embryo or maybe due to some environmental factors.”
The 2-headed snake is a case of genetic mutation, and it has nothing to do with religious beliefs or mythology.
Authorities are now concerned over the life of the snake.
2-headed snakes have a hard time surviving in the wild. This is because they can be seen by predators much easily and they have a hard time hunting.
Most of the 2-headed snakes are kept in captivity, where they get special treatments.