Teenagers were shocked to have discovered a two-headed snake under some decking - and experts have now discovered they share the same stomach.

The creature, which can grow to be six feet long, was discovered by youths in the US town of Hurley, Missouri.

At present it feeds on two-day-old mice, with each head getting one a week, reports the Mirror.

Fearing it was a venomous copperhead, the youngsters were ready to kill the snake, but intrigued by its two heads they did some research and found it was a western ratsnake.

Now the bizarre predator, which normally kills by constriction, has been taken in by the Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center 25 miles away.

It is on permanent display at the Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center.

Centre manager John Miller said: ‘During early development it is not uncommon for reptile embryos to split into two individuals.

‘Typically, the embryo splits and then the pliable egg shell forms around each snake.

‘In this case, the embryo started to divide, but the egg formed and the development was stopped inside. The result was a two-headed snake.’

Mr Miller said it was too early to establish the gender of the snake, but had discovered that both heads shared a stomach and could feed.

‘We wanted to make sure that both heads were connected to the same esophagus,’ said Miller.

‘So after feeding one snake and watching the lump move into the stomach, we tried the second head the next day. Sure enough its meal went into the same stomach.’

However, it’s still unclear whether one head feels satisfied if the other eats and Mr Miller says this is a test for further down the line.

‘For now, I am feeding both heads, one at a time, just to make sure,’ he added.

If the snake is found to be male, the teens who found the snake have asked that the heads be called Jeff and Jeffrey.

If it’s found to be female, however, they will be called Tiger and Lilly.

The western ratsnake is non-venomous and can live up to 20 years in the wild, while the record lifespan for one in captivity is 33 years.