Amazing two-headed turtle survives against all odds: ‘Many challenges to overcome’

Slow and stubborn wins the race.

A two-headed turtle in New Jersey is being hailed as a miracle after beating the odds and surviving past infancy despite its rare deformity.

“I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep these guys happy and alive,” owner Joseph Morena told Caters News Service about the reptile anomaly.

He said his friend had taken out the double-dome anomaly and had no idea how to take care of it.

So Morena decided she would be up for the challenge. “Of course I had to get it,” declared the New Jerseyan, who explained that raising the unique creature was difficult given the low birth and survival rates of the many-nogged creatures.

Polycephaly – having many heads – is generally caused by malformation of a developing embryo, due to genetic or environmental factors. Although most commonly seen in turtles and snakes, suffering has been documented in every creature, from fish to pigs.

Two heads are not better than one in the animal kingdom as dueling blades often compete for resources.

Indeed, Morena’s two-for-one turtle was double the two-mouthed trouble that refused to eat.

“I kept offering food but they didn’t show interest, I started to worry a lot,” he complained.

Salvation came after the larger of the two heads finally began to eat, inspiring the smaller one to follow suit.

However, Moreno, who documented the turtle’s growth in a viral clip to his more than 180,000 YouTube followers, said the saga was far from over as the twin skulls caused coordination problems.

He recalled waking up one morning to find the conjoined creature turned on its back and unresponsive in the water.

“I was almost sure they had passed,” confessed Moreno, who frantically performed gentle chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth.

Moreno breathed a sigh of relief when they recovered almost two hours later.

“Somehow they managed to drown in almost half an inch of water,” he said.

Interestingly, the turtle’s movement problems stemmed in part from his pet’s strict diet. Moreno claimed that the persnickety reptile would only eat a specific species of worm, failing to provide the nutrients it needed to survive and grow.

Thankfully, the ardent turtle lover, who was experienced in caring for difficult reptiles, fortified their diet with enough supplements to stimulate hunger, accelerate growth and improve mobility.

To further guard against mistakes, Moreno heeded his vet’s advice to keep the terrarium “small and simple” to suit the creature’s condition.

Now eight weeks old, the two-faced flea has apparently defied the odds. “They’re doing great, they’re over two months old now and they’re still growing in size,” said Moreno, who admits they’re not completely out of the woods yet.

“They are still young and have many challenges to overcome,” he said. “I’m not saying they’re guaranteed to live, but they’re not giving up and every week it’s looking better and better.”