At a breeding facility, a rare two-headed leatherback lizard hatches

Forget Game of Thrones, this dragon is double trouble! Rare two-headed leatherback lizard hatches at breeding centre

By Richard Gray for MailOnline 12:46 26 Jun 2015, updated 15:39 26 Jun 2015

The leatherback bearded dragon is thought to be one of only four in the world to be born with two heads
The lizard is an example of a rare condition known as polycephaly, which is most common in snakes
Breeder Stephen Evans from Birkenhead in the Wirral said he thought two lizards were hatching from one egg
He says both heads appear to be moving and drinking independently giving him hope the creature might survive

It looks more like something from the TV series Game of Thrones, only this two headed dragon is just a couple of inches long.

The rare two-headed lizard hatched from a clutch of eggs being incubated by a reptile breeder in Birkenhead in the Wirral, Merseyside in the UK.

The tiny leatherback bearded dragon has two separate heads but shares the same body, legs and tail.

Scroll down for video

Known as axial bifurcation, the condition occurs when a single embryo splits in two and then becomes fused together again as they develop.

ANCIENT REPTILE WITH TWO HEADS

In 2007 scientists unearthed what might be one of the most surprising fossils ever discovered – a marine reptile with two heads.

The creature swam in the oceans at a time when the dinosaurs were still alive.

It is thought to be the earliest known occurrence of a birth defect known as axial bifurcation, a form of polycephaly.

The creature, called Hyphalosaurus lingyuanensis, died at a young age around 120 million years ago.

Not only did it have two heads but also two necks extending from a single body.

Scientists believe it may have been just a hatchling and died shortly after being born.

Although rare, the condition, a form of polycephaly, most commonly occurs in reptiles – particularly in snakes – and is thought to be the source for mythological monsters.

The bearded dragon, which has been named Olaf after the snowman character in Disney’s Frozen, is thought to be one of only four bearded dragons known to have hatched with two heads in the world.

Stephan Evans, 34, who has been breeding bearded dragon lizards for 17 years, discovered the two headed creature on Thursday while checking a clutch of eggs.

He said originally he thought there were two lizards emerging from one egg when he noticed the heads begin to poke out from the shell.

He said: ‘I’d checked the incubator, we’d seen two heads and assumed they were twins, which can sometimes happen.

‘I’ve looked online and I think there’s only ever been three or four cases of bearded dragons being born with two heads.

‘It’s certainly not common and I don’t think any of the other babies born from the clutch of eggs will be born with two heads.

‘Other than the fact it has two heads it seems to be healthy and strong – it hatched on its own and that is a good sign. The two heads move independently and it does move about normally.’

Mr Evans and his wife Jodie keep nearly 50 bearded dragons and specialise in breeding lizards with rare colours and unusual patterns.

Lizard breeder Stephen Evans thought two lizards were emerging from the same egg when he checked the incubator but was further surprised when it turned out the two heads peaking out, as shown above, were attached to the same bodyThe two-headed lizard was part of a larger batch of bearded dragons Mr Evans had been breeding for sale. The creature is shown above alongside two of its siblings. It will be kept separately from the other animals, however, in an attempt to keep it alive

He said they will be keeping the two-headed lizard, whose sex will not be known for another six weeks, in a separate vivarium to its siblings and will be fed a diet of crickets, mealworms and salad leaves.

However, animals with polycephalys rarely survive for long. For example, two headed snakes usually die after only a few months.

It is not clear why polycephaly may occur but there has been some speculation that inbreeding can make it more likely.

Although a fearsome looking creature, bearded dragons are popular pets and rarely grow more than half a metre in length. The little two-headed hatchling, shown above, is still just a couple of inches long and it is unclear how it will cope as it matures

Stephen Evans and his wife Jodie breed bearded dragons and own nearly 50 of the creatures. The photograph above shows Jodie holding the two-headed baby alongside its parents on the piece of slate. They say breeding bearded dragons requires perfect conditions

Mr Evans said: ‘I posted a picture on Facebook saying that they were twins – but I couldn’t believe it when I noticed the two heads shared the same body.

‘My friends and family have all been sharing it, I think everyone is shocked. It’s my birthday tomorrow and it might have been an early birthday present.

‘I’ve already bought a lottery ticket because my luck must be in.’

The two-hearded bearded dragon (pictured) has been named Olaf after the snowman cartoon character from Disney’s hit film FrozenBoth heads of the tiny bearded dragon are moving and drinking independently, giving hope that the creature may survive