The owner of a reptile shop in the southern German town of Villingen-Schwenningen has found himself in a dilemma. He's developed a fondness for one of his pieces of stock and is loathed to sell it on.
The intriguing creature is a two-headed snake which hatched about a year ago.
According to shop owner and reptile breeder, Stefan Broghammer, the unusual royal python is one of only two double-headed snakes world-wide.
The animal also has two independent brains as well, which occasionally leads to confusion and conflict.
"So ultimately the two snakes have to agree on: should we go to the right or the left, where are we going, what are we doing today. It is actually quite cute to observe that," Mr Broghammer said.
Mr Broghammer believes that the overall fascination for these animals is based on their frequent associations with fairytales.
"What is so beautiful about these two-headed snakes is that they are considered to be typically mythical creatures. I think they trigger some kind of fantasies or magical ideas."
So far the future of the two-headed snake is unclear, as Mr Broghammer says he cannot decide whether he should sell the exceptional animal or hold onto it himself:
3 News / Reuters