In Greek mythology, the hydra was a many-headed water serpent. When one of its heads was cut off, two new ones appeared. It took the half-god Hercules to kill the Hydra.

On Sri Lanka, it took only a group of students to catch a modern and more modest version of the hydra: a two-headed python.

The students brought the python to the police station in the southern town of Tissamaharama, and since then thousands of curiousity seekers have attempted to catch a glimpse of the serpent.

The 26cm (10.5in) snake has now been transferred to the local zoo, one month after thef students captured it.

The zoo's Deputy Director of Wildlife, Nandana Atapattu, said the python was of the Molurs species and has four eyes, two brains, two tongues and two noses.

"This is the first time such a case has been recorded in the world," he said.

"This is the only known living specimen. There have been snakes born deformed like this but they have not survived."

The snake had been weak when it was first found but has thrived on a vitamin-rich diet.

X-rays show it can survive with both heads, although it uses the right by choice, Mr Atapattu said.

"What we have noticed is that it prefers to use the right head for eating although both heads are functioning normally.

"It is a bit like people being left or right handed. This is a right-headed python."

The snake is now putting its heads together to see what it can do to rebuild the Sri Lankan tourist industry, hit by Tamil Tiger violence.

It's the right head which goes for the food

"We can expect a flood of visitors just to see this strange phenomenon," another wildlife official said.

"But for the moment, the python needs a rest before it can strike gold for the tourism industry."

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