Archive · 20 Sep 2026
Two-Headed Baby Diamondback Turtle Found on Cape Cod
Wildlife rescuers found a very unusual baby turtle on Cape Cod.
The turtle has two heads but only one body.
This condition is called bicephaly.
It can happen when two developing twins do not completely separate.
The turtle weighs only 5.2 grams.
Both heads are moving, responding, and eating normally.
Caregivers are watching it carefully because two-headed reptiles can have trouble coordinating their bodies.
The turtle is especially important because its species is threatened in Massachusetts.
Conservationists discovered a 5.2-gram baby diamondback terrapin with two heads in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
The hatchling was transferred from Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary to the Cape Wildlife Center for observation.
The condition, called bicephaly, occurs when developing twins fail to separate fully during embryonic growth.
Both heads are active, responsive, and eating normally, though staff will closely monitor the turtle’s development.
Northern diamondback terrapins are listed as a threatened species in Massachusetts, making the discovery especially notable.
- Who
- Staff from Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and Cape Wildlife Center caregivers discovered and are monitoring a two-headed diamondback terrapin.
- What
- A baby diamondback terrapin with the rare developmental condition bicephaly was found and transferred for observation.
- When
- The articles do not provide a specific discovery date; the wildlife center said it had seen only two other bicephalic cases in the previous five years.
- Where
- The hatchling was found in Wellfleet on Cape Cod and taken to the Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable, Massachusetts.
- Why
- It is being monitored to understand how its two heads and shared body systems function and to assess its health.
- Species
- Diamondback terrapin
- Condition
- Bicephaly, in which two heads develop on one body
- Weight
- 5.2 grams
- Discovery site
- Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet, Massachusetts
- Care facility
- Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable, Massachusetts
- Current condition
- Both heads are active, responsive, and eating normally
- Conservation status
- Northern diamondback terrapins are listed as threatened in Massachusetts