Two-Headed Tortoise Born In China
A double-headed tortoise weighing only 17g (6 ounces) was recently found in Wuwei, Anhui Province, China.
Chinese scientists were shocked to discover a rare Mediterranean spur-thighed, two-headed tortoise among a shipment of baby tortoises ordered from a local farm where a worker was said to have bought it from a fisherman some two months ago.
They are currently studying this creature that is in good health and is being cared for by the scientists conducting the research.
Initially worried that the tiny mutant reptile would not survive, their fears have been allayed by the fact that in comparison to its siblings, which are all developing at a steady and very normal rate of growth at their home at the Water World Aquatic Farm in the town of Anhui in eastern China, this little baby is thriving and eating twice as much!
“We got it two weeks ago and it’s growing fast, probably because it can eat twice as fast as the others. It’s very rare to see a turtle with two heads, and we plan to keep it and raise it carefully for future research,” said Jimmy Hu, a Water World spokesman.
Is that old axiom about two heads being better than one really true?
Only time and possibly turtles will tell.
(Link)
By MDeeDubroff on 24-09-2008
Comment by Sarah Jumel
September 24th, 2008 at 6:16 am
Oh big hairy deal. That is just another greenie (or red ear) TURTLE.
There is a company in the U.S. that sells two headed (and for good measure, eyeless) turtles. The price is high, but you can buy them. They are not tortoises, which are more difficult to breed. The Chinese eat turtles and have basically destroyed their native turtles, releasing the American Red Ear turtle (a tougher animal that breeds like mad) into their ecosystem.
Comment by u96i
September 24th, 2008 at 7:27 am
The way the nails touch the turtle in the first picture and the grip in the second picture make me feel sorry for the little turtle.
Comment by the only person who emails you weird things
September 24th, 2008 at 7:59 am
i want one…or should i say TWO…hahaha <3
“turtle, turlte”
Comment by your momma
September 24th, 2008 at 9:43 am
You feel sorry for the turtle bacause of how the nail is touching it? riiiight…..I think it’s gonna be ok.
Comment by Amanda Nicole
September 24th, 2008 at 10:14 am
haha
that thing is so cute! I want one too, even though since this is the first i have seen – i would have to think that it is really rare; therefore chance of any of us getting one is RARE!! its all good 
SO CUTE THOUGH !!!
Comment by Christophen
September 24th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Dude its a 2 headed turtle! you have to admit that its a little cool.
Comment by MDeeDubroff
September 24th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Hi everyone,
Thank you all for your comments.
I appreciate them.
Comment by Rob
September 24th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Teenage Mutant Nija Turtles…. Turtles in a half shell ..Turtle power
Comment by Rob
September 24th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
But seriously China is the leading producers of pollutions in the world and have virtually little or no restrictions on what companies can release into the air, water, or soil. It is no wonder why there are several reports of animals with two heads and what not coming from Asia. They have to clean up their act.
Comment by I like turtles.
September 24th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
That’s probably because you’ve never had a pet turtle. That’s the only safe way to hold them.
Comment by Common Sense
September 24th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Wasn’t this explained already? I thought any animal with any extra body parts was a pair of twins that got screwed up at birth. At least that’s what I’ve heard a lot.
Comment by cee
September 24th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
it’s a turtle. not a tortoise.
Comment by polaris
September 25th, 2008 at 11:34 am
so surprising~~~
Comment by zayzayem
September 26th, 2008 at 2:43 am
Common Sense has it.
This is not a mutant. It’s a siamese twin chinese turtle…
Some sort of internal damage inside the egg has made part of the developing embryo think that there wasn’t a head already, so its starts a whole new turtle process.
Comment by Chung Dha
September 26th, 2008 at 6:37 am
I wonder if both head fit inside that shell. Would love to see it grow big and scare people when two head pops out of the shell.
Comment by Jack
September 27th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Interesting. Reminds me of the two headed snake that was discovered recently. I wonder if the two headed snake would eat the two headed turtle, lol.
Comment by Rubab
September 28th, 2008 at 1:27 am
weird
Comment by web
September 28th, 2008 at 3:16 am
awww. freaky, but really cute, actually, in a sci-fi experiment kind of way.
Comment by charred
September 29th, 2008 at 3:48 am
that’s not a “rare Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise”.
That’s a terrapin…
Comment by bill
September 30th, 2008 at 9:17 am
But seriously, no one care what you think, we aren’t stopping so you can go and suck it.
Comment by reyda
October 5th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
mmm don’t have the time to explain this misunderstanding so i’ll just quote wikipedia :
“Although the word “turtle” is widely used to describe all members of the order Testudines, it is also common to see certain members described as terrapins, tortoises or sea turtles as well. Precisely how these alternative names are used, if at all, depends on the type of English being used.”
the origin of the news being a chinese site, they also may have translated the specie’s name into “tortoise” simply because it’s the first that spring to the writer’s mind
Comment by shun
October 5th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
i’ve seen this with my own eyes, nothing suprise
Comment by tori
November 1st, 2008 at 2:39 pm
awwww that turtel is so cute!!!!!!!and right now im wachin the showweird true & freaky (americain).but stil awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww i want that turtle!!! =3
Comment by jade
March 11th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
yea i own one. but you gotta admit. that right nail in da first photo is a little long, and its prodding into the claw.
Comment by Michael Kerjman
March 12th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
I think this phenomenon should thoroughly be studied in a line of plenty similar recent events occurred during last few years around a region.
Perhaps, discovering new mineral sources will soon follow oncoming earth cataclysms in a locality.