|
|
Two-headed turtle found in Cuba
 A policeman has made an unusual discovery near a river in Cuba - a turtle with two heads.
The tiny turtle is thought to be around a week old and was found near one of the country's most contaminated rivers.
Had it not been noticed in a pile of leaves by Officer Alexander Napoles the turtle may have died, but now it has been taken to a local aquarium.
At the moment it is healthy and being looked after, and experts are keeping a close eye on its progress.
Alexis Fernandez, a biologist from the National Aquarium of Cuba, said: "It is an animal that is at a disadvantage or that has certain anomalies.
"The probability of its survival will be very limited in the natural world or in captivity."
A baby two-headed turtle was found in Havana, Cuba on a river bank in the city forest. According to scientists of the local aquarium who inspected the animal, the turtle appears to be in good health.
In the wild, two-headed animals are not likely to live long. Having two heads impairs decision-making and reduces mobility, making it difficult to escape predators. Further, two heads may make it difficult
Link: mongabay
Related Content
 Order: Testudines, Family: Dermochelyidae The largest of all reptiles, the leatherback sea turtle may reach 7 feet in length and weigh as much as 1,400 pounds. It measures 9 feet from the tip of one flipper to the tip of the other. Leatherbacks are the only turtles to have a thick layer of fat for insulation. They also have no visible shell. The shell is present but consists of bones buried into the turtle's dark brown or black skin. ...
|
 Order: Testudines, Family: Cheloniidae The Olive Ridley sea turtle can weigh as much as 100 pounds and measure 30 inches long.
Name for its olive-colored skin, the Olive Ridley has a heart-shaped carapace, or upper shell. The shell is also olive in color, and is rather thin compared to those of other turtle species.
What distinguishes the male Olive Ridley from the female is that the male's tail extends past his carapace.
...
|
 Veterinary & Aquatic Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc. Getting a pet is always a very important decision and one that should be made only when you are aware of what having this pet will entail. What type of turtle, sources of turtles, and estimates of the time and money it will take to properly care for the turtle are all important considerations. But before you go out and buy a turtle, you need to ask yourself some very important questions.
|
 Order: Testudines, Family: Cheloniidae The hawksbill sea turtle is the only sea turtle with overlapping scales.
They have two pairs of prefrontal plates between their eyes.
The hawksbills shell varies in color, from black-brown, red-brown to yellow. Their undersides are usually white or yellow.
Adults are about 24 to 38 inches in length and weigh anywhere from 60 to 190 pounds.
|
 Order: Chelonia, Family: Cheloniidae Green turtles have a single pair of scales in front of their eyes rather than two pairs like other sea turtles have.
The green turtle is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle; adults commonly grow over 3 feet in length and weigh over 300 pounds.
Green turtles are outfitted with large, heart-shaped shells covered with horny plates. The shells are black, gray or brown (not green) — the green turtl...
|
 At 172 years of age, Harriet the giant Galápagos land tortoise is the oldest known living creature on Earth.
Born in November 1830 on an island in the Galápagos, Harriet spent the earliest years of her life in the wild.
In 1835, when Harriet was only 5 years old and about the size of a dinner plate, noted English naturalist Charles Darwin landed on Isla Santa Cruz, her home. Sh...
|
|
(4.4)
Add Feedback