Residents of Turkey accidentally discovered a rare turtle while bathing in the hot springs of the Pamukkale World Heritage Site.
A video shared on November 22 by Dr. Eyup Baskale from Pamukkale University shows the baby turtle, about four weeks old, struggling to move with its two bodies fused together, two independent heads, and six legs.
A local resident found it at the Pamukkale hot springs in southwestern Turkey and donated it to Pamukkale University. Baskale stated that this type of deformity makes it difficult for the creature to survive in the natural environment, so they decided to keep it for care.
The two-headed deformity makes it challenging for the baby turtle to survive in the wild. Photo: Newflash The two-headed deformity makes it challenging for the baby turtle to survive in the wild.
Despite having two heads and two bodies, the baby turtle only has a single shared digestive system and one cloaca. This is an extremely rare specimen that provides an opportunity for studying polycephaly in terrestrial turtles.
Polycephaly, also known as having multiple heads, is a type of mutation that can occur in both humans and animals. There have been previous recorded cases of two-headed turtles worldwide, but in most instances, they only have one body.