Two heads, one body. A 5,2-gram diamondback terrapin hatchling was found in a protected nest in Wellfleet on Cape Cod. It arrived at the Cape Wildlife Center with two functional heads, an anomaly called bicephaly; it is the first find of its kind in the area in five years.
The veterinary team in Barnstable will monitor its appetite, growth, and behavior while observing how its two heads and body function together. The center had seen only two other cases in five years.
Diamondback terrapins are threatened in Massachusetts. The hatchling is receiving close care and, at the same time, is offering specialists a rare opportunity to learn more about this condition.
