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‘Miracle’ snake discovered at Newquay Zoo

This morning, Saturday 1 April, keepers at Newquay Zoo were delighted to reveal a new species of snake to the world.

Dubbed a miracle by the scientific community, the snake has two heads, which function independently of each other, but work together to confuse and trap prey.

The snake is thought to be closely related to the red tailed racer snake, which hails from South East Aisa, but genetically different enough to be distinct different species.

Salli Froop, a representative for the zoo, said: “We are so pleased to share news of this amazing new species. We’ve already been amazed to see how it uses its two heads to its advantage, and we can’t wait to learn more about the creature.”

Due to the date that the snake was officially discovered, it has been given the Latin name of Oxycephalum aprilis asinus, to celebrate April Fools’ Day.

Newquay Zoo is part of Wild Planet Trust, a conservation charity that aims to help halt species decline across the world. This new two-headed racer snake is just one of the many rare and endangered species at Newquay Zoo, which is also home to critically endangered Visayan warty pigs, Philippine spotted deer, and Javan magpies.