A snake named Tibby built an online following because of two unusual bumps that led people to wonder whether he had tiny hidden limbs. New X-rays have answered that question, showing the bumps are not undeveloped legs, though the scans revealed his heart sits in a slightly different place than usual.
Here's what to know
According to a Reddit thread, radiographs found no signs that the raised areas were vestigial legs, and no other hard material showed up beneath the skin.
The original poster said consultations with a vet, a researcher focused on limb loss in snakes, and a herpetologist led to this conclusion: "There is nothing underneath the scale abnormalities."
The only internal irregularity mentioned was the position of Tibby's heart. "His heart is in a slightly different place than usual, and that might affect his lifespan, but it's not immediately harmful to his quality of life," the OP wrote. "He's still eating and pooping great, and he's almost up to 10 grams now!"
What can be done?
The original poster added, "I will be keeping him for a while to see how he sheds and grows and might do another X-ray in the future when he's bigger to get a better look at things."
Commenters appreciated the update, with one writing: "You are a good human. Thanks for taking care of our buddy."
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"Good to hear there's nothing awful there. I bet you'll give him a good life," another said.
"I love that you're taking the 'scientific curiosity' route and not the 'ooh new mutation to breed' route!" someone else remarked.
Where can I learn more?
These stories center on unusual snake biology and the expert explanations behind the speculations. They cover a Florida python autopsy, a two-headed snake in China, live snake birth, a territorial clash in Greece, and a debated king cobra video.
• In Florida, an unexpected discovery in a Burmese python's stomach intensified worries about invasive predators.
• A two-headed snake discovered in China uses its tail to fake another head.
• A snake filmed giving live birth in translucent sacs left viewers stunned by the biology.
• In Greece's Sitia Geopark, two males battling for turf looked at first like a mating display.
• On Reddit, a king cobra's strange behavior after a viral video set off a debate over mouth movements.
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