Thanks to elaborate care by his human handlers, a two-headed tortoise in Switzerland reached the age of 25 on Saturday.
- Life
- Published Date: 05:15 | 03 September 2022
- Modified Date: 05:21 | 03 September 2022
The reptile named Janus, who lives in Geneva's Natural History Museum and has become the institution's mascot, was washed with a toothbrush on his special day.
But that's not out of the ordinary: The Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca) is bathed daily, massaged regularly, pampered with a special diet and monitored for his general condition.
The two heads with two brains have their own personalities, according to the museum, and sometimes want to go in different directions. The right head is more dominant, the left more passive.
Ttwo-headed tortoise Janus turns 25, gets toothbrush cleaning;
The care team keeps a constant eye on Janus and is always on alert in case he flips over, as the malformation makes getting back on his feet impossible.
He hatched in the museum's care in 1997 and was named after Janus, the Roman god with two faces.
Expert say the animal would not have survived predators in the wild because the two heads cannot be pulled into the shell for protection due to lack of space.
Janus is fed with organic fruits and vegetables, cut into pieces.
Other events to mark his birthday on Saturday included taking a "selfie with Janus," meet-and-greets with his caregivers, and a scientific talk explaining the oddity of Janus' two heads.