An extremely rare two-headed snake has baffled animal experts after it was found by a wildlife enthusiast in an eastern India forest.

The reptile was newly born and has been identified as a Wolf Snake, which is a non-venomous species.

Video footage shows the snake struggling to navigate its way across the floor under the control of two independent heads.

The serpent was discovered in the Dhenkikot forest range of Keonjhar wildlife sanctuary in Odisha State by Rakesh Mohalick.

Experts examining the snake say that it is 14cm long and has two fully formed heads, with four working eyes and two flickering tongues.

Both its heads work independently of each other, and this becomes a challenge for such creatures to survive in the wild.

Keen wildlife enthusiast and photographer Rakesh, who researches various species and identified the Wolf snake, said that this means the animal ends up competing with itself.

‘One among the two heads is slightly more developed and both are known to fight over food,’ Rakesh added.

snake

Two-headed animals are considered in many cultures to be a portent of disaster, and they have frequently appeared in mythology.

But although they are rare, they exist in around one in 100,000 live births in the wild.

After being identified, the rare snake was released back into the wild.