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
PUTIN'S TINY ARMY
Some parents would gasp at the thought of their children playing with a toy gun, but these Russian children are actually encouraged to take up real arms .
CHEEKY OWL’S UNUSUAL LANDING SPOT
An owl swoops through the air before making an unorthodox landing - right on top of an unsuspecting man's head .
1940’S PHOTOSHOPPING MACHINE
CREATED over 60 years ago, this weighty machine was the Photoshop of its time .
MANDELA MEMORIAL
Thousands of people are gathering at a stadium in Johannesburg for a memorial service for Nelson Mandela .
LONDON 2012: FUNNY OLYMPIC BAGS SAY 'THEY'RE ALL ON STEROIDS
While the various controversies rumble on regarding transport, security issues and overly-officious copyright enforcement, a couple of designers is saying what we're all thinking about the Olympics - and putting it on bags .
N-ICE DAY FOR A CLIMB
CLINGING onto nothing but ice, this brave climber reaches heights of 1000 FEET as he scales frozen solid waterfalls .
MUM LOSES 10 STONE AFTER SON ASKS IF SHE’S PREGNANT
A mum-of-three lost 10 stone after her son asked if she was pregnant .
SNOOZING SEAL PUP
RESTING his weary head on his flipper, this little seal pup takes a much needed nap after an afternoon of strenuous yoga .
FAST FOOD FISHING
THIS is the awesome moment an Osprey catches its prey travelling at 50mph, giving new meaning to FAST FOOD .
FISH AND BIRD TANGO
A trout manages to escape the jaws of a hungry cormorant - only to find itself back inside the bird's long beak .
CHILD SHEPHERDS OF THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS
CARRYING a fully grown goat on his back, this five-year-old boy is a child shepherd in the mountains of northern Ethiopia .
