A Cute Two-Headed Turtle In San Antonio

The San Antonio Zoo in Texas had a wonderful little surprise on June 18 in the form of a very cute and otherwise healthy 2 headed baby turtle! The very special turtle was named Thelma & Louise; each head with its own name.

The zoo’s reptile curator Craig Pelke explained that it is not unheard of in nature for certain species to have 2 headed individuals every once in a while (even humans!) but it tends to happen even more often with snakes and turtles. Bicephalic or Two-headed animals are created when inside the egg, the embryo splits in order to become twins but the twinning process does not complete.

In certain cases an animal with two heads might have problems functioning because each head wants something different! So things like swimming or even walking are difficult, sometimes impossible. But despite the fact that Thelma & Louise have 2 brains and only one body to control they seem to be very much in sync; eating and moving together without difficulty. The Zoo spokeswoman Debbie Rios-Vanskike confirms the two-headed turtle seems healthy and experts believe that Thelma & Louise will not suffer from any health issue in the future.