Missouri Department of Conservation naturalist Lauren Baker has a novel workplace mate — with a particular lunchtime behavior.
“We have to place a Dixie cup over one head, feed one head and then alternate,” Baker mentioned. “If we were to just feed one head — let’s say we’re feeding Tiger and Lily’s not eating — the body will do fine. They’ll live, but Lily is going to be a little bit more sassy with us.”
“There’s a reason for this snakey cup of shame,” she added.
Tiger-Lily the two-headed snake got here into the state company’s care in 2017 after a household of hikers discovered her as a hatchling in southwest Missouri. The practically 7-year-old snake’s everlasting home is the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery in Branson. Tiger-Lily is presently on an academic tour throughout the state, which is what introduced them into Baker’s care on the Powder Valley Nature Center in Kirkwood.
Baker and St. Louis Zoo veterinarians are caring for Tiger-Lily within the wake of a surgical procedure to take away irregular ovaries that elevated the snake’s threat for an infection. Baker mentioned that the restoration goes effectively and that Tiger-Lily will quickly have the ability to resume her statewide tour.
“She’s very much getting back to her normal self,” she mentioned.
After years of dwelling as conjoined twins, each Tiger and Lily have gotten used to sharing management of their physique, although sometimes, they’ve sisterly scuffles.
“If someone really needs a drink of water and someone else is interested in doing something else, the body will follow to the water, and one [gets] dragged to the water dish because the [other] one really needs to drink,” Baker mentioned. “Sometimes they’ll form a little ‘T’ and get as far away from each other as possible when they want a break.”
Two-headed snakes don’t usually dwell longer than a number of weeks within the wild. As hatchlings, it’s exhausting for them to grasp that their two totally different brains are linked to at least one physique, in order that they battle to seek out shelter and meals and grow to be straightforward prey for predators together with owls and foxes. In captivity, they’ll dwell for many years.
The Missouri Department of Conservation’s care of Tiger-Lily has allowed the snake to function an envoy for western rat snakes. The nonvenomous reptile that’s native to Missouri is kind of helpful in controlling rodent populations and subsequently limiting the unfold of illness.
Baker mentioned Tiger-Lily can also be an inspiration to guests.
“She shares this message of perseverance and hope,” Baker mentioned. “She’s representative of an individual who has made it. She’s outlived what we originally thought she would as a two-headed snake. It’s crazy that she got found in the first place. And we’re happy to keep supporting her and giving her whatever she needs to survive as long as she’s with the Department of Conservation.”
Once Tiger-Lily is totally recovered from surgical procedure, the snake will journey to the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center in Kansas City. And as soon as building is completed at Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center, Tiger-Lily will return to her everlasting home in Branson.
For extra on what it means to take care of a snake with one physique and two impartial brains, take heed to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or click on the play button under.
Caring for Tiger-Lily, Missouri’s 2-headed western rat snake
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the tales of St. Louis and the individuals who dwell, work and create in our area. The present is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Roshae Hemmings is our manufacturing assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and feedback about this story to [email protected].
