A rare but deadly two-headed viper has been discovered in India. <br /><br />The 11cm long Russell's Viper was found outside a home by shocked local Dimple Shah in the Kalyan district of Maharashtra state on August 7. <br /><br />Snake catcher Prem Aher arrived with forestry officials who captured the Russell's viper - which has one of the most dangerous venoms in the world - and took it to a conservation facility.<br /><br />The team said the snake ''was taken for further research and paper work''.<br /><br />They added: ''The snake is alive and being kept in safe environment. Due to the Forestry Department protocol, we can't disclose the location of snake right now.''<br /><br />Indian Forest Services officer Susanta Nanda said such genetic abnormalities lead to ''low survival rates in the wild''.<br /><br />He added: ''The two-headed Russell's viper was rescued in Maharashtra. The Russell's viper is far more dangerous than most poisonous snakes because it harms you even if you survive the initial bite.''<br /><br />Despite being one of the deadliest snakes in the world, the two-headed Russell's viper could be vulnerable in the wild due to its genetic abnormality.<br /><br />Each head, which is approximately 0.8 inches in length, could follow its own separate instincts to catch prey.<br /><br />According to the University of Michigan, Russell's vipers are "one of the most dangerous snakes" in Asia and account for "thousands of deaths each year."<br /><br />Victims experience a wide swath of symptoms, ranging from pain to vomiting to dizziness to kidney failure.
