BARNSTABLE, MASS. (WHDH) - The Cape Wildlife Center is letting people know that “you are not seeing double” when looking at a two-headed turtle that recently hatched from a protected nesting site in Barnstable.
The diamondback terrapin hatchling was born with a condition called bicephaly, which is a rare anomaly that can occur from both genetic and environmental factors that influence an embryo during development, according to the wildlife center.
The wildlife center says animals with this rare condition don’t always survive but that this turtle remains “bright and active” following two weeks of care by their veterinary team.
The turtle is eating, swimming, and gaining weight each day.
Along with two heads, the turtle also has six legs.
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