SEEING DOUBLE - A TWO HEADED TURTLE BORN AT TEXAS ZOO
The San Antonio Zoo in Texas has welcomed a bizarre new addition - a two-headed turtle named Thelma and Louise. The female Texas cooter was born with four others on June 18 and is now on display at the zoo's Friedrich Aquarium - swimming and walking as normally as her one-headed brothers and sisters. Zoo spokeswoman Debbie Rios-Vanskike said that the turtle appears healthy and that staff do not predict her condition will cause any future health problems. The two-headed critter was named Thelma and Louise after the female duo in the 1991 Oscar-winning road movie of the same name. Craig Pelke, the curator of reptiles, amphibians and aquatics at the zoo, said that seeing bicephalic animals is uncommon, but it is not unheard of in the wild or in captivity. The condition is most common among snakes and turtles. 'At this time, Thelma and Louise are doing well on exhibit and eating with both heads,' Pelke added. Speaking to JewishNewsOne, he added that the turtle has a 'split' personality. 'The right side was looking around very curious and the left side was trying to bite me,' he said. The San Antonio Zoo is no stranger to two-headed reptiles. The facility was home to a two-headed Texas rat snake named Janus from 1978 until the creature's death to 1995. The condition has been seen among other species, too. In March, a two-headed shark was found by a fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico when he opened the uterus of an adult shark. In April, a two-headed pig was born in China. And earlier this month, a two-faced cat named Deucy was born in Oregon but later died from underlying health conditions.
Other great stories
SOARING TAWNY OWL DELIVERS DINNER
SOARING through the air, this is the moment a hungry tawny owl arrives home with dinner .
STRANDED POLAR BEAR
Sitting all alone on drift ice in the Arctic Ocean, this lonely little fella looks lost .
BRAVE LEOPARD BEFRIENDS A CROC
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
MINI BONZAI MODELS - TREE-MENDOUS
These are the fascinating pictures of miniature table sculptures molded around bonsai trees that take up to a painstaking 18 months to create .
SMILEY GECKO POSES FOR THE CAMERA
WITH A wide smile plastered across his face, this little gecko is ready for his close up .
SPECTACULAR AURORA BOREALIS
A SPECTRUM of colours fills the sky during this spectacular and natural display of light .
EYE-OPENING INSIGHT INTO KENYA’S LARGEST DUMPING GROUND
PILES of trash provide a living for thousands in Nairobi, Kenya .
DEAD MEDIA: ARTIST CREATES SKULL OUT OF OBSOLETE VHS
If you're ever struggling to find a use for your old VHS tapes you might want to take a tip from this innovative artist .
A POOL WITH A VIEW
The view from this rooftop pool is sure to make most holidaymakers envious .
AMAZING AERIAL PATTERNS
Swirling water and sand create amazing aerial images of river deltas across Iceland .