[AllenG (OP)]

Source



Found in China, I think the picture says it all.

[Don_1]

Strange, the things that can go wrong in nature.

Two heads or extra limbs crop up from time to time in many animals, probably as a result of extreme Siamese twining. But this is an appendage that a snake should not have.

I wonder if this is a result of some long dormant gene, or the reemergence of a gene, from the time when this species was more lizard than snake.

[JnA]

It almost looks like the snake swallowed a lizard and it's foot, at least, escaped. The large bulge makes me suspicious.

Or it's a legless lizard with a defective gene.

[LeeE]

I'm very strongly inclined to agree with JnA's first possibility.  From the way that the the snake has twisted the front half of its body through nearly 360 degrees - the paler coloured band with parallel scales is its belly - suggests that it's in distress.

I don't think that it's a legless lizard with a defective gene because I doubt the code to make a coherent and viable leg is still intact.  A rudimentary 'stub' leg might be feasible, as with rudimentary 'tails' that sometimes turn up in humans, but I suspect that the leg in that picture is too complex and well formed to be accounted for by a defective/recessive gene.

[RD]

Legs & feet on whales ...

Probably the most well known case of atavism is found in the whales. According to the standard phylogenetic tree, whales are known to be the descendants of terrestrial mammals that had hindlimbs. Thus, we expect the possibility that rare mutant whales might occasionally develop atavistic hindlimbs. In fact, there are many cases where whales have been found with rudimentary atavistic hindlimbs in the wild (see Figure 2.2.1; for reviews see Berzin 1972, pp. 65-67 and Hall 1984, pp. 90-93). Hindlimbs have been found in baleen whales (Sleptsov 1939), humpback whales (Andrews 1921) and in many specimens of sperm whales (Abel 1908; Berzin 1972, p. 66; Nemoto 1963; Ogawa and Kamiya 1957; Zembskii and Berzin 1961). Most of these examples are of whales with femurs, tibia, and fibulae; however, some even include feet with complete digits.

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/comdesc/section2.html#atavisms_ex1

[BenV]

From the way that the the snake has twisted the front half of its body through nearly 360 degrees - the paler coloured band with parallel scales is its belly - suggests that it's in distress.

I should think so - the lady that found it beat it to death with a shoe.

[that mad man]

Poor snakey. []

As an owner and breeder of snakes I agree with JnA, the bulge gives it away.

Another one that was not so lucky;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4313978.stm  [:0]

[Bored chemist]

I think that JnA's explanation is right but, just out of curiosity how could you tell the differentce between a snake with one (unexpected) foot and a lizard that was (unexpectedly) missing 3 feet?

[RD]

In addition to the bulge where the arm appears there is a lizard-sized tumescence in the snake's body ...

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

[AllenG (OP)]

Ha. 
Nice RD.

[AllenG (OP)]

I should think so - the lady that found it beat it to death with a shoe.

It needed a shoe.

Just not upside the head.
Repeatedly.
And in anger.

[Andrew K Fletcher]

Nice one RD

[ScientificBoysClub(SBC)]

Source



Found in China, I think the picture says it all.

Well do you know the fact that Before Evolution of snakes Esp. in case of Anacondas or Pythons used to have legs but evolution took it off by Natural selection. than, even today some male or female  anacondas have legs ... I mean mini legs !

[ScientificBoysClub(SBC)]

Source



Found in China, I think the picture says it all.

well as Don said "the things that can go wrong in nature." it's true !!

[JnA]

One would think that if one completely formed limb occurred as part of mutation of long dormant gene suddenly activated that there would be stumps where the other 'legs' should have been...

[Mr. Scientist]

Source



Found in China, I think the picture says it all.

Very much expected.

Early on in my biology classes, i learned that snakes have a biological or skeletol makeup which suggests at some distant past their ancestors did in fact walk upright; which has bizarre religious consequences for some.

This is a basic case of an evolutionary-throwback. It's genes have been awoken by some strange genetic mistake that has resided dorment until this occurance.

[JnA]

Source



Found in China, I think the picture says it all.

Very much expected.

Early on in my biology classes, i learned that snakes have a biological or skeletol makeup which suggests at some distant past their ancestors did in fact walk upright; which has bizarre religious consequences for some.

This is a basic case of an evolutionary-throwback. It's genes have been awoken by some strange genetic mistake that has resided dorment until this occurance.

so why just the one fully formed leg? Surely the gene for 'creating limbs' isn't that discriminatory.. I would expect at least stumps where the other leg/s should have been .

[Mr. Scientist]

Source



Found in China, I think the picture says it all.

Very much expected.

Early on in my biology classes, i learned that snakes have a biological or skeletol makeup which suggests at some distant past their ancestors did in fact walk upright; which has bizarre religious consequences for some.

This is a basic case of an evolutionary-throwback. It's genes have been awoken by some strange genetic mistake that has resided dorment until this occurance.

so why just the one fully formed leg? Surely the gene for 'creating limbs' isn't that discriminatory.. I would expect at least stumps where the other leg/s should have been .

Because the innactive gene which gives the information to form a leg has simply been awoken. Junk DNA is also found in humans as well. You should take a look into it.