As if snakes weren't creepy enough, park rangers in Australia's Northern Territory have discovered a slithering reptile with something extraordinary: an extra, working eye in the middle of its forehead.
The snake, a juvenile, was appropriately discovered outside the city of Darwin. Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife wrote in a Facebook post that the snake measured in at 16 inches long.
Two headed snakes aren't uncommon in captivity, but are often the result of two snake embryos forged together before being born.
X-rays revealed this snake, however, had not been melded with another, and that its three eyes are the result of an individual mutation while in an "embryonic stage."
Officials commented:
"It is extremely unlikely that this is from environmental factors and is almost certainly a natural occurrence as malformed reptiles are relatively common."
For his strange third eye, the snake was given the nickname "Monty Python."
Twitter was amazed and disturbed by the three-eyed creature:
Unfortunately, park officials commented that the snake's mutation made eating a difficult process. Within two weeks of its discovery, it had died.
But, in our nightmares, the three-eyed snake will live forever.
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
