Tiger-Lily underwent profitable therapy on the St. Louis Zoo
KIRKWOOD—Tiger-Lily, a singular two-headed western rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus), was scheduled to go away the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Powder Valley Nature Center on March 18. However, the departure has been delayed as a result of discovery of an rising well being situation.
According to MDC Naturalist Lauren Baker, Tiger-Lily sneezed up traces of blood throughout a feeding final week. “This immediately raised a red flag with our staff, and we quickly got her an appointment with the Animal Health Team at the Saint Louis Zoo,” mentioned Baker.
Upon analysis, Saint Louis Zoo veterinarians found that the feminine snake’s ovaries had been in pre-ovulatory stasis.
“Under normal circumstances, the ovary would grow follicles, then ovulate them as eggs to eventually be laid. In Tiger-Lily’s case, she began the reproductive cycle, but the follicles did not ovulate and instead continued to grow and remain static in her ovary. Over time, this led to inflammation and the risk of infection,” mentioned Dr. Michael Warshaw, employees veterinarian on the Saint Louis Zoo.
The veterinary workforce decided that the very best therapy was to take away Tiger-Lily’s irregular ovaries. The snake underwent surgical procedure on the Saint Louis Zoo Endangered Species Research Center and Veterinary Hospital on March 11. The process was profitable, and the ovaries had been eliminated. She is doing properly and at the moment recovering. To help in her recuperation, Tiger-Lily won’t be on show throughout her restoration interval, which Saint Louis Zoo veterinarians estimate could also be a month.
After restoration, Tiger-Lily will journey to MDC’s Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City to proceed a statewide tour of MDC websites whereas her home at Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center close to Branson is closed for development.
“We appreciate the Saint Louis Zoo’s quick response and expert treatment,” mentioned Baker. “I am so happy that our two-headed gal is getting the care she needs, and we’re all wishing her a safe and speedy recovery.”
“The Saint Louis Zoo and MDC have a long history of partnering together for the care of Missouri’s native wildlife, and we are happy to have played a part in caring for this exceptional animal,” stories Dr. Chris Hanley, Director of Animal Health on the Saint Louis Zoo.
The two-headed snake was found in Stone County in 2017 and named “Tiger-Lily” by the household who discovered the uncommon reptile. Tiger-Lily is a pair of conjoined similar snake twins that had been by no means fully separated. Such snakes are hardly ever seen within the wild, partly as a result of snakes born this fashion have a low survival price. Western rat snakes are non-venomous and a standard native species in Missouri.