Tortoises are extremely long-lived creatures that are characterized by an adult lifespan of close to 150 years. However, when it comes to a two-headed tortoise, reaching two decades of life can be quite an achievement to celebrate. Janus, the two-headed tortoise, living at the Natural History Museum in Geneva, has just celebrated her 25th birthday, making her the longest-lived two-headed tortoise of all.
The unhatched egg arrived at the museum when it still had an animal area that included an incubator. Then they took care of it until it hatched, and finally, a little tortoise emerged from its shell. But it was not just any tortoise, it was a two-headed one.
Immediately after seeing the chelonian’s appearance, the museum staff decided to name him Janus, after the two-headed Roman god, and since then, he occupies a special place in the heart of the museum. He has a person in his care who daily, in addition to providing his basic needs, also gives him relaxing massages and takes him for a walk around the facilities dedicated to him.
The longest-lived two-headed tortoise
Had he been left free, the story would be very different. Janus has two heads that often confuse him, as he thinks and feels in different ways. This is why he can sometimes be seen struggling to move to a certain place, as his counterpart does not always agree and wants to go in the opposite direction.
Janus also has two hearts and two pairs of lungs, so it does not have much space left inside its shell to protect its head from predators. The defense measure par excellence for chelonians is their own shell, where they protect their legs, head, and even their tails to prevent predators from harming them. However, when they have more organs than expected and two heads on top of them, the matter becomes more complicated. In the wild, he would not have survived for long, but in the care of the museum, the two-headed turtle has managed to reach the astonishing age of 25 years.
Janus’ current state is one of complete health, he receives a good portion of organic salad and relaxing massages every day. In addition, his green tea and chamomile baths help him stay healthy. She wakes up every day to music and exercises and has even had a skateboard made to her own specifications to encourage her to stay active.
Janus, the two-headed tortoise gets a lot of love from the museum staff, and perhaps it is this, along with the excellent care, that has kept him alive for so long. For his 25th celebration, Janus happily ate a cupcake made of watermelon pieces and flower ornaments. We hope he lives for a long time to come and continues to bring joy to her visitors.
Story originally published in Spanish in Ecoosfera
