As if snakes weren't creepy enough, park rangers in Australia's Northern Territory have discovered a slithering reptile with something extraordinary: an extra, working eye in the middle of its forehead.
The snake, a juvenile, was appropriately discovered outside the city of Darwin. Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife wrote in a Facebook post that the snake measured in at 16 inches long.
Two headed snakes aren't uncommon in captivity, but are often the result of two snake embryos forged together before being born.
X-rays revealed this snake, however, had not been melded with another, and that its three eyes are the result of an individual mutation while in an "embryonic stage."
Just when you think you've seen and heard about it all, someone goes ahead and finds a 3 eyed snake 🙌🏽 https://t.co/NdhAsHaKCg— Lawk (@Lawk) 1556802046.0
Officials commented:
"It is extremely unlikely that this is from environmental factors and is almost certainly a natural occurrence as malformed reptiles are relatively common."
@LiveScience So this snake can see ghost and paranormal stuff?— Jake (@Jake) 1556809267.0
For his strange third eye, the snake was given the nickname "Monty Python."
Finding a 3-eyed snake (nr Humpty Doo, which sounds a town in a kids tv show) is clearly a sign of the end of the w… https://t.co/UD6K51IhGl— Martin Montague (@Martin Montague) 1556788181.0
Twitter was amazed and disturbed by the three-eyed creature:
@HuffPost Reason to watch Australia from afar #1828474— Olympiq 🏁 (@Olympiq 🏁) 1556888090.0
@HuffPost Bran Stark chilling in the outback...— Believe the Science (@Believe the Science) 1556887732.0
@HuffPost https://t.co/bb4YAtwCMb— 🍑Brad Smith #ImpeachTrump🍑 (@🍑Brad Smith #ImpeachTrump🍑) 1556890847.0
@HuffPost Sounds like the beginning of the end.— F16piazza. (@F16piazza.) 1556888572.0
@HuffPost https://t.co/nkrKKse0SW— Miguel Carreira (@Miguel Carreira) 1556888073.0
Unfortunately, park officials commented that the snake's mutation made eating a difficult process. Within two weeks of its discovery, it had died.
@knittaphd @dr_ilardi Don’t worry our 3 eyed snakes are coming for you https://t.co/AYpj2Q4adL— Hunter (@Hunter) 1556766295.0
@BBCWorld Forget the 3 eyed raven we have the 3 eyed snake🐍🐍— Ez (@Ez) 1556786376.0
But, in our nightmares, the three-eyed snake will live forever.