Rare two-headed snake, named We, dies

ST. LOUIS -- The two-headed rat snake known affectionately by fans worldwide as "We" has died.

The 8-year-old oddity of nature died this weekend of natural causes, We's caretaker, Leonard Sonnenschein, said. The snake was the main attraction at the World Aquarium, which is inside the City Museum in downtown St. Louis.

"It's terrible news," Sonnenschein said. "People come in every day and say: 'I'm here to see the two-headed snake.'"

The World Aquarium acquired We in 1999. Early last year the aquarium tried to auction off the rare reptile to raise money for research and conservation programs, asking $150,000 for it. While some bids came in, none was satisfactory and We stayed on display in St. Louis.

Sonnenschein said more than a million people have seen We over the years. Children were especially fascinated by the snake and often wondered how two heads could coexist on the same body -- with We sometimes straining to slither in two directions at once.

"These kinds of questions helped spur the science spirit in children," Sonnenschein said.

A taxidermist is currently preserving We's body, which should be back on display within a week, Sonnenschein said. The World Aquarium plans to build a memorial display for the snake. It will also launch a special area on the aquarium's Web site for fans to leave messages for We.

Sonnenschein said he bought We from a snake breeder in Indiana when the snake was just a few weeks old. He saw an advertisement for the two-headed creature on the Internet and quickly ponied up $15,000 to buy the snake, which has both male and female genitalia.

We outlived the average life span of two-headed snakes, which often survive for only a week or two. We had a leg up because unlike many two-headed animals, both of We's mouths were connected to the same stomach, Sonnenschein said.

Last summer, the World Aquarium tried to breed We with another two-headed snake named Golden Girls, aquarium spokesman David Isserman said. While the two snakes were displayed together for a short time, they never produced offspring. The aquarium was going to try and pair them up again this summer.