Janus – the oldest living two-headed turtle in the world – celebrated his 25th birthday on September 3 at the Geneva Museum of Natural History in Switzerland.
Janus has 2 heads, 2 pairs of lungs, 2 hearts and 2 distinct personalities.
Janus – the two-headed tortoise named after the Greek god Janus – has lived at the Geneva Museum of Natural History since its birth in 1997. If left out in the wild, Janus would hardly survive for long because it doesn’t. can retract its head into the shell to hide from predators, Reuters reported.
However, life at the Geneva Museum of Natural History is different. Here, Janus – with two hearts, two pairs of lungs and two personalities – has a team dedicated to meeting everyday needs. The team believes that Janus is the oldest two-headed turtle in the world.
They fed Janus organic salads, gave him daily massages, and bathed him with green tea and chamomile. To exercise, the turtle also regularly walks, sometimes walking to music and riding on custom skateboards.
“I think it’s thanks to our team’s care and dedication that it’s still alive today,” said Angelica Bourgoin, who is part of the Janus care team.
However, taking care of this two-headed turtle is not easy. The team is constantly monitoring Janus in case it turns upside down, or Janus also just had surgery for bladder stones in 2020. In addition, they also regularly apply vaseline to Janus’s head to prevent this part from painful when rub together.
In addition, Janus also has 2 personalities with different moods and interests. This sometimes creates a “conflict” between the two parties, such as each wanting to go in the same direction.
“The right head is more curious, more alert, it has a much stronger personality, while the left head is more passive and loves to eat,” said Ms Bourgoin, adding a French chicory addict, in when the other party likes carrots.
