Rare two-headed turtle hatchling found at protected Cape Cod nesting site

A tiny diamondback terrapin has become an unexpected discovery on Cape Cod after volunteers found a hatchling with two heads at a protected nesting site in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. According to Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, the unusual hatchling was one of the surprises during the sanctuary’s terrapin nesting season and was taken to a licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility for care and monitoring. The 5.2-gram turtle has a rare developmental condition called bicephaly, according to the Cape Wildlife Center. Veterinarians are now watching its appetite, growth, behaviour and development while they learn more about how its two heads and body function together.An unusual discovery during nesting seasonThe two-headed turtle was found during the annual diamondback terrapin conservation work at Wellfleet Bay. For years, volunteers have spent the nesting season searching for terrapins, locating their nests and protecting the eggs from predators.