A pair of rare, probably first-of-its-kind, conjoined twin lizards was found in a German zoo, a new entry in a herpetology journal reported recently.

The duo of Quince monitor lizards was already dead when zookeepers found them.

The twins were found five years ago in a clutch, the name for a group of newborn reptiles, placed in a Cologne Zoo terrarium in Germany.

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The lizards, which are native to Indonesia, measure 2.6 to 4 feet in length as adults, the journal Herpetology Notes reported.

The conjoined lizards' parents were siblings that were living together at the zoo. Another clutch of offspring from the two included a malformed, dead hatchling.

A reptile expert at the University of Cologne, Mona van Schingen, said what was interesting was that the two clutches of the same pair, with the malformed offspring, is a sign that the births are not coincidental.

The abdominal tissues and heads of the lizards were conjoined, but each offspring had a body that was already developed, with whole tails and limbs, the report said.

Scientifically called Varanus melinus, the Quince monitor lizard that was first accounted for 18 years ago, is comparatively new to science. Almost nothing is gathered about the species' make-up and behavior in the wild, said the co-author of the study, Thomas Ziegler, who curates Cologne Zoo's terrarium and aquarium department.

Reports of conjoined twin lizards are rare, van Schingen said. When they are reported, people may not reveal details about the parents of the malformed offspring, or how the animals were kept, she added.

The report said it is possible the lizards were conjoined because of the lack of genetic variation from having a mother and father that were siblings. 

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