Two-headed turtle amazes netizens, pictures go viral
- By Web Desk -
- Oct 15, 2021
The Massachusetts state of the United States saw the birth of a diamond-back turtle which has two heads and six legs and its pictures have gone viral, a foreign news agency.
The two-headed turtle is named after twin celebrities Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
Cape Wildlife Center, in an Instagram post, said that happens due to a rare condition called bicephaly. It was further mentioned that it happens because of genetic and environmental factors both of which affects the embryo during development.
It is being fed blood worms and food pellets due to its condition. The mutant turtle’s heads are working separately but breathe at different times as well.
The creature has two separate gastrointestinal systems in the shell which help in getting both sides of its body fed.
It comes from a “head start” nest.
WATCH: Mutant calf’s pictures go viral on social media
It was reported that the specific kind of nest which the researchers transfer due to the fact that it is located in a region that puts it at risk. The turtles are taken to a shelter where they are monitored during the winter season.
It is released back into its habitat during the Spring season.
Veterinarian Pria Patel and the animal shelter’s staff will be observing the creature. They are planning to do a CT scan for examining the rare turtle after it became four weeks old.
Earlier, a sea turtle with two heads was found at a beach located in South Carolina. It was concluded that it happened due to genetic mutation.
Recently, the Indian state of Odisha saw the birth of a two-headed calf with three eyes during a festival season.