Slow and drunk wins the race.
A two-headed turtle in New Jersey is being hailed a miracle after defying the odds to survive infancy despite a rare deformity.
“I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep these guys happy and alive,” owner Joseph Morena told Caters News Service about the reptile anomaly.
He said his friend had plotted the double-dome anomaly and had no idea how to take care of it.
So Morena decided that he would be ready for the challenge. “Obviously I had to take him,” declared the New Jersey resident, who explained that raising the unique creature was difficult given the low birth and survival rates of the multi-nosed critters.
Polycephaly – having many heads – is generally Caused by malformations of the developing fetus due to genetic or environmental factors. Although most commonly seen in turtles and snake Suffering has been documented Every creature from fish to pig.
Two heads are no better than one as dueling noodles in the animal kingdom often compete for resources,
In fact, two-headed turtles were in trouble for Murray’s two-headed turtle, who refused to eat.
“I continued to offer food but they showed no interest, I started getting really worried,” he laments.
Salvation came when the larger head of the two finally started eating, prompting the smaller one to do the same.
However, Moreno, who Turtle raising documented In a viral clip to his more than 180,000 followers on YouTube, he said the saga was far from over as the twin skulls were causing coordination problems.
He remembered waking up one morning to find a tethered creature turned over on its back in the water and unresponsive.
“I was almost certain they had passed,” said Moreno, who frantically performed gentle chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth.
When he recovered after about two hours, Moreno heaved a sigh of relief.
“Somehow, they managed to almost drown in half an inch of water,” he said.
Interestingly, the turtle’s movement problems were partly caused by his pet’s strict diet. Moreno claimed that the perspicacious reptile would only eat a specific worm species, failing to provide it with the nutrients it needed to survive and grow.
Fortunately, tenacious turtle lovers, who had experience caring for tough reptiles, augmented their diets with adequate supplements to stimulate appetite, accelerate growth, and improve mobility.
To protect against accidents, Moreno heeded his veterinarian’s advice to keep the terrarium “small and simple” to suit the creature’s conditions.
Now, at eight weeks old, the two-headed pond-hopper has defied the odds. “They’re doing great, they’re over two months old now and their size continues to increase,” said Moreno, admitting that they’re still not completely out of the woods.
“They are still young and have many challenges to overcome,” he said. “I’m not saying they are guaranteed to live but they are not giving up and are looking better and better every week.”
