[thechat] Life Is Confusing For Two-Headed Snakes

[Luther, Ron]

Madhu Menon sent in a neat link:

>>>http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/03/0322_020322_kidsnake.html


Hi Madhu,

Neat link!  But a little confusing since the picture showed a two-headed corn 
snake ... aka red rat snake ... aka chicken snake ... aka Elaphe Guttata Guttata 
IIRC.  The article was about a "ladder" snake.

I don't remember ever hearing about a "ladder" snake - so I had to find a pic. 
Here is the snake the article was about:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1910471.stm

(Teeny little bugger!)


RonL.
(Looks like the 'ladder' snake used to be classified as 'Elaphe scalaris' 
... ["Elaphe" being the most common general species name for rat snakes -- 
very very common snakes throughout the world.] ... It looks like the 'ladder' 
snake is now classified as Rhinechis scalaris. Apparently it's the only {or 
one of very few} 'true' European ratsnakes ... very very rare in the US.)