Two-Headed Turtle Hatchling Found on Cape Cod

A rare two-headed diamondback terrapin hatchling was found at a monitored nesting site in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, in September and taken to the Cape Wildlife Center for care. The condition, called bicephaly, occurs when an embryo does not fully separate during development. Weighing about as much as a nickel, the turtle has been swimming, eating and moving all its limbs, with both heads functioning. Wildlife experts say it is the third two-headed diamondback terrapin they have cared for in six years, though the condition remains rare and its causes are not well understood.