Two-headed turtle found in Florida

September 12, 2002 10:13 AM

Two-headed turtle found in Florida
Probably not all that interesting as a single link, but it turns out there are many animals out there with 2 heads. There's a Two-headed moose fetus, The Full Range of animals with 2 heads, Two Headed Snakes, and here's A Nice Bibliography on the double head topic.
As for the turtle, they let it go, "We didn't want it to become a freak in a freak show," they said.
posted by Blake (17 comments total)

Life is confusing for two-headed snakes.

I don't know why, but that's just cracking me up right now.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:16 AM on September 12, 2002

And there are the Hensel Twins, who seem to be growing up as normal (as possible) American girls.
posted by HTuttle at 10:29 AM on September 12, 2002

2-headed mutant?
no! toadpr0n!
posted by quonsar at 10:39 AM on September 12, 2002

i wonder how two stomachs and one intestine works?
posted by kliuless at 11:08 AM on September 12, 2002

Two-headed moose fetus

Band name. rights. mine.
posted by MrBaliHai at 11:17 AM on September 12, 2002

Conjoined (Siamese?) twins are pretty common. I would imagine they are not seen as often in the wild as they are probably much less likely to survive to adulthood.

A two headed bull-moose would be pretty badass, though, huh?
posted by mikrophon at 11:28 AM on September 12, 2002

WOOT! NAPLES REPRESENT! <thumps his chest>

(Sorry, I lived in that retirement community for sixteen years before escaping to Seattle. My family is still there, though.)
posted by Danelope at 11:36 AM on September 12, 2002

Two-headed turtle found in Florida

Big deal. I've been seeing two headed stuff for decades, dude.
posted by jonmc at 11:43 AM on September 12, 2002

and two-headed voters too
posted by Postroad at 11:48 AM on September 12, 2002

That's no turtle - that's a ballot. You pull it in half (like a wishbone) and boom! you got yrself one candidate-elect.
posted by DenOfSizer at 11:48 AM on September 12, 2002

Crash, maybe it was this part?

"...To make it even more complicated, since snakes operate a good deal by smell, if one head catches the scent of prey on the other's head, it will attack and try to swallow its second head."

For some reason, picturing this has me giggling...I think I'm projecting all kinds of misplaced glee and schadenfreude, and need to get away from the computer for a while.

Heee.

-K
posted by Kato at 12:11 PM on September 12, 2002

Send it to Jupiter, Florida. Isn't that where human circus sideshow freaks spent their winters, with many eventually retiring there?
posted by sharksandwich at 12:20 PM on September 12, 2002

it will attack and try to swallow its second head
That sounds a bit like sharks eating themselves in a frenzy.

mikrophon:
while conjoined twins of any type are common, those having one body with two heads are much rarer, the Hensel girls are supposed to be only one of four on record.
posted by HTuttle at 12:30 PM on September 12, 2002

What about three-eyed fish. Wait a minute, Blinky isn't real is he?
posted by trillion at 12:38 PM on September 12, 2002

Ack! My cat looked a lot like that as a kitten, but with um bones and stuff. Poor little guy.
posted by littlegirlblue at 12:44 PM on September 12, 2002

I like that a two-headed snake can live peacefully in captivity. Maybe Ken Lay (anyone remember him?) has a chance after all.

And you know what would be cool? A two headed snakehead fish!
posted by elwoodwiles at 1:19 PM on September 12, 2002

A two headed turtle!!.......I'd hate to see the contract for that cabin!!!
posted by delboy_trotter at 5:44 PM on September 12, 2002