One of the most well-known snakes of Southwest Missouri is celebrating a milestone. Tiger-Lily, a two-headed western ratsnake, is turning 9 years old.

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Education Center will celebrate Tiger-Lily’s birthday from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 3, at 483 Hatchery Road in Branson.

Birthday festivities for “Tiger” and “Lily” – the names given to the two-headed snake by the family that found it – will consist of crafts for kids, photo opportunities, and the chance to learn more about snakes.

All activities will take place at MDC’s Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Education Center, which is part of MDC’s Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. No registration is required for the Oct. 3 birthday event.

Learn more about this special event at mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/221128

The two-headed snake, a female, was found by a family in Stone County in the fall of 2017 and was donated to the Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Education Center for display purposes. The snake is almost five feet long and has a healthy appetite according to MDC Education Center Manager Alison Bleich, although feeding time always presents a challenge.

“Both heads want to eat, but they only have one esophagus,” Bleich said. “They take turns eating several small mice so they can swallow quickly. One head has to swallow completely before the other can eat.”

Eating is just one of many challenges facing a polycephalous (two-headed) animal. If it were in the wild, in addition to eating problems, a two-headed snake would also be extremely vulnerable to predation 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 are much better. Another two-headed western ratsnake that was found in 2005 was displayed at MDC’s Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center in southeast Missouri for many years. It was retired from public viewing due to its advanced age.

For questions, please email Shepherd@mdc.mo.gov or call 417-334-4865 x0.

Staff at MDC facilities across the state are holding virtual and in-person programs throughout the year. A listing of these programs may be found at https://mdc.mo.gov/events.

MDC is committed to accessibility at all its nature centers, regional facilities, and conservation areas. To request an ADA accommodation for participation in MDC programs, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/accessibility.