The Missouri Department of Conservation held a special birthday celebration Saturday for a unique reptile.

Saturday marked the fourth birthday of the two-headed snake known as “Tiger-Lily.” MDC held a celebration at the Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center in Branson, offering family-fun activities, games, crafts, and a chance to pet some snakes.

“Tiger-Lily” was found in 2017 by two kids, under their deck. They wanted to keep her safe, so they took her to the hatchery.

“Tiger-Lily has grown quite a bit in the past two years,” said MDC Interpretive Center Manager Alison Bleich. “The snake is now around 48 inches long, sheds on a regular basis, and is growing at a steady rate.”

MDC says a two-headed snake would also be extremely vulnerable in the wild because it wouldn’t have the ability to escape into the normal holes and crevices that one-headed snakes can fit into. However, in a captive situation, a two-headed snake’s chances of survival improve.

“If everything works properly and we take good care of her, it can get to be around 20 years old,” said Bleich.

If you would like to see “Tiger-Lily,” visit the Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

There is also another two-headed black rat snake in Missouri, which is kept in Cape Girardeau’s nature center. That snake is 16 years old.

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