This is the moment two bizarre-looking conjoined tortoises very slowly crawl across a table whilst being observed by curious scientists.
The two-headed tortoise was found by a tourist at the Pamukkale hot springs which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Denizli Province of southwestern Turkey.
After discovering the tortoises, the tourist, who was not named, called the Nature Conservation and National Parks Denizli (DKMP) who sent out a team of experts to the site, reported IHA on 11th November.
The twins would not have survived in the wild so they were taken to the Pamukkale University Biology Department.
Dr Eyup Baskale, a faculty member at the Pamukkale University Biology Department, said that the tortoises are clearly conjoined twins as their digestive system comes out through a single opening.
The animal’s hind legs also appear to belong to a single individual, added Dr Eyup Baskale.
Siamese twin turtles found by tourists in Pamukkale travertines region, Turkey.
(Dr. Eyup Baskale/Newsflash)Siamese twin turtles found by tourists in Pamukkale travertines region, Turkey.
(Dr. Eyup Baskale/Newsflash)
In the wild, the survival chances of the four-week-old tortoises are very low which is why they are being looked after in the university’s laboratory.
The researchers will study the tortoises closely as it is rare to get an opportunity to examine such a unique specimen.
Several different types of tortoises range greatly in size, weight and characteristics.
The Galapagos giant tortoise can grow to 1.2 metres (3.9 feet) in length while the Speckled cape tortoise is just a few inches long.
The researchers have not yet specified what type of tortoises they believe the conjoined twins are.
Siamese twin turtles found by tourists in Pamukkale travertines region, Turkey.
(Dr. Eyup Baskale/Newsflash)Siamese twin turtles found by tourists in Pamukkale travertines region, Turkey.
(Dr. Eyup Baskale/Newsflash)
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Story By: Peter Barker, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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