'Peculiar' three-eyed snake dies after being found on highway
Incredible pictures have emerged of a three-eyed snake found in the Northern Territory.
The peculiar reptile, which has since died, was found with a malformed head and three functioning eyes on the Arnhem Highway at Humpty Doo, near Darwin.
It was found in late March, according to NT News.
The carpet python was just a juvenile, stretching about 40cm long, according to Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife who shared photos of the ‘peculiar’ creature.
X-rays of the snake’s head showed the creature had likely been born with a single skull and an additional eye socket – with three functioning eyes – rather than two separate heads forged together.
“It was generally agreed that the eye likely developed very early during the embryonic stage of development,” NT Parks and Wildlife said.
“It is extremely unlikely that this is from environmental factors and is almost certainly a natural occurrence as malformed reptiles are relatively common.”
NT Parks and Wildlife Ranger Ray Chatto told NT News the python was about three months old when it was found.
“It’s remarkable it was able to survive so long in the wild with its deformity and he was struggling to feed before he died last week,” Mr Chatto said.
The snake’s body is now being kept at the CSIRO in Darwin.
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