Mutant turtle with two heads still alive after 3 months

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Two-headed turtle thriving in China

Check out a red-eared slider turtle with two heads. The curious animal is being kept in captivity for its protection and to make sure the genetic abnormality doesn’t spread.

It's not Donatello, Raphael or Leonardo, but a two-headed mutant turtle has been found in southeast China, surprising onlookers, the Daily Mail reports.

The turtle, thought to be a red-eared slider, was born three months ago and is living in captivity in Shangrao city in Jiangxi province, the outlet reported. It is not able to be released into the wild, where it would be unlikely to survive and potentially pass on the gene.

Known as polycephaly, the condition is rare but does occur occasionally in turtles and other reptiles, Animal Planet notes. They are said to "command a hefty price tag" on the animal oddity market, potentially giving them a way to survive and thrive.

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The turtle is said to be moving around normally with no problems for its flippers and is able to blink all four of its eyes in a healthy and normal manner.

Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences researcher Jiang Jianping told Beijing News that the abnormality was likely the result of a genetic deficiency or possibly an environmental factor.

Jianping said "It probably will not live as long as regular turtles," due to its mutation. Red-eared sliders, which are commonly used as pets in the U.S. and the rest of the world, live between 20 and 30 years, though some have lived as long as 40 years.