Wellfleet, Massachusetts – Even seasoned wildlife experts rarely see something like this: a 5.2‑gram turtle hatchling was found on Cape Cod, and it’s truly extraordinary.
The tiny animal was taken from a nature reserve in Wellfleet to the Cape Wildlife Center veterinary clinic, according to People.
There, a veterinary team is now caring for the extraordinarily rare find.
In the past five years, only two similar cases have appeared at the Wildlife Center.
The turtle hatchling was born with two functional heads on a single body.
This results from a rare developmental anomaly known as bicephaly.
"Talk about a double take!! Our veterinary team will be closely monitoring the little terrapin as we learn more about how their two heads and bodies work together," the Cape Wildlife Center wrote in a Facebook post.
Rare animal is being closely monitored by researchers
The research team noted that they are especially focused on recording the appetite, growth, and behavior of the rare animal.
Each of these extraordinary cases gives experts the chance to learn more about the anatomy and physiology of animals with bicephaly.
Animals with this rare condition don’t always survive long and may face reduced quality of life.
How the turtle baby will develop, however, cannot be determined at this time.
The find is noteworthy for another reason as well: Diamondback terrapins are officially listed as a threatened species in Massachusetts.