Woman Startled by Two-Headed Snake Emerging from Kitchen Sink Drain in Brazil

A woman in Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil, experienced a fright when an animal resembling a 'two-headed snake' emerged from her kitchen sink drain. The incident was captured on video by aesthetician and podiatrist Bruna Victor and subsequently shared on social media, where it garnered over 3 million views and 50,000 likes. Victor recounted noticing the creature after discarding coffee, initially mistaking its movement in the drain for steel wool. She described the object as "going up and down" and realized it was alive, prompting her to call her husband for assistance. Her husband attempted to remove the animal using pliers and a knife. Despite the initial shock, biologist Pedro Onça clarified that the creature is not a snake but an amphisbaenian, a burrowing animal that poses no danger to humans. Onça explained that amphisbaenians are fossorial, meaning they live underground, and play a vital role in soil health, similar to earthworms. He noted that the common name 'two-headed snake' arises because its head resembles its tail, and it can move backward and raise its tail to deter predators. Amphisbaenians are typically found in gardens and may appear when soil is disturbed. In this specific case, the biologist hypothesized that the amphisbaenian likely entered the residence through the drainage system.