Stranger things in Georgia: Two-headed animals on display in Atlanta's gold-domed capitol

The gold dome on top of Georgia's capitol building in Atlanta makes for a popular picture. But inside is perhaps an even stranger, more Instagram-worthy sight.

On the 4th floor is the Georgia Capitol Museum, and inside guests can check out the remains of a two-headed calf and a two-headed snake.

The calf was born in Palmetto (southwest of Atlanta) in 1987. It has brown and white fur, shares a single set of ears, and the heads are mounted on a wooden plaque. The snake was found in Heard County (north of LaGrange) in 1965. It's a heavy-bodied banded water snake marked with cross-bands along the entire length of the body.

An article was published by Huron County Museum in Ohio highlighting its own two-headed calf specimen. In it, veterinarian Alaina Macdonald explained that the birth of two-headed animals are tied to how twin embryos are formed during pregnancy. Usually this process occurs before day 10 of gestation and results in two identical twins. But, in rare cases, it occurs late and the cell division process is interrupted, resulting in two identical embryos which did not fully divide. This has been seen in reptiles, birds, amphibians, and other mammals (including humans).

The Georgia Capitol Museum has other artifacts on display such as weapons, art, and even moon rocks. The museum is overseen by the University of Georgia Libraries. Its function is to seek, preserve and interpret the history of the Georgia Capitol itself as well as the events that have taken place within its walls. There are also fun and informative scavenger hunts available.

The Georgia State Capitol is open to the public 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and holidays. Guided tours are available for groups of 10 or more with a reservation. Groups of less than 10 may take a self-guided tour weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with no reservation required. For more info on the museum and how to make a reservation, go to libs.uga.edu/capitolmuseum.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Georgia Capitol Museum in Atlanta displays two-headed calf, snake