A rare two-headed terrapin turtle is alive and kicking after hatching two weeks ago at a Massachusetts wildlife center in the US.
The hatchling, a diamondback terrapin born from a nest in West Barnstable, has two heads and six legs.
After hatching, the baby turtle was sent to a different care center to be monitored and cared before being released in spring.
VCG
Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
VCG
The baby turtle has two independent gastrointestinal systems, and each head works independently to breathe and eat. The turtle also has two spines that fuse together at one point, and each side of the turtle has control of three of the legs.
Staff at the center will continue to monitor the turtle in the coming weeks with hope of performing a CT scan to learn more about its circulatory system in the near future.