Snake found with three working eyes
Three-Eyed Carpet Python Morelia spilota ©Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission Text by Laura Geggel
It's impressive this snake even saw the light of day. Sometimes, mother snakes eat "bad" eggs called "slugs" after laying them, Penning said. Moreover, snakes born with deformities, such as spinal problems, typically die after a few days, he said.
Even more surprising is that the eye appeared to work. "Deformities rarely lead to normal operating functions," Penning said. "When you think of the complexity involved within the skull and nervous tissue, there is so much more going on here than just that one new eye." For instance, it's likely that this third eye would need a third optic nerve, which would certainly complicate the brain's typical layout, he said.
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It’s important to note that a parietal eye, also known as a third eye or pineal eye, is a part of the epithalamus present in some species of fish, amphibian and reptile, so this is not a complete anomoly.
The Parietal "Eye" The parietal eye is a photosensory organ connected to the pineal body in the brain, active in triggering hormone production (including reproduction) and c. It is sensitive to changes in light and dark, it does not form images, having only a rudimentary retina and lens.
