Overview
- Volunteers monitoring a protected nesting site in Wellfleet found the bicephalic diamondback terrapin and brought it to the Cape Wildlife Center on Sept. 17 for veterinary care.
- The hatchling weighed about 5.2 grams on arrival and staff report it is swimming, controlling all limbs, and has taken a first meal.
- Vets will use X-rays and CT scans once the turtle is larger to map its internal organs and the degree of anatomical separation between the two heads.
- The Cape Wildlife Center has treated two other two‑headed terrapins in the past six years and Mass Audubon has recorded multiple local cases, giving rescuers experience but not definitive answers on outcomes.
- Because bicephaly is rare and poorly understood, the case serves both as a teaching moment for the public and a limited research opportunity while the team decides whether release or permanent care best serves the animal.