Most of us struggle to make one decision before coffee. This hatchling showed up with two heads and presumably two opinions on lunch.
Representatives of Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary found a diamondback terrapin hatchling with two heads at a protected nesting site in Wellfleet, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in September. The tiny turtle, which weighed just 0.18 ounces, or 5.2 grams, arrived at the Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable on September 17, where vets are keeping a close eye on it.
So, why two heads?
The condition is called bicephaly, a rare developmental disorder usually caused by a single embryo splitting incompletely. The result is one body with two fully formed, independent heads. Researchers think both genetics and epigenetics, meaning how the environment affects gene activity, play a role. It’s rare, but not unprecedented: this is the third bicephalic terrapin found in the area in five years.
Is it okay?
For now, yes. The hatchling is surviving, though two-headed turtles often face challenges with coordinated movement and feeding, which is a very polite way of saying two heads sometimes disagree about where the body is going. Veterinarians are monitoring its health closely.
Caregivers also plan to study the turtle to learn more. Zak Mertz, CEO of New England Wildlife Centers, said, “We are excited to care for these two and learn as much as we can to inform future study in the process.”
Why we’re rooting for it
Diamondback terrapins are native to coastal marshes, and protected nesting sites like the one in Wellfleet exist because the species needs the help. A tiny, unusual hatchling that survived long enough to be found, and is now surrounded by people whose entire job is keeping it alive, is a good news story. We’d also like the record to show that the two heads are, as of this writing, unnamed. Submit your suggestions to the turtle.