'Harder to catch prey': Rare two-headed turtle found on beach

Conservationists thought they were seeing double after coming across a rare two-headed turtle.

Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island, based in the US state of South Carolina, discovered Squirt and Crush at a beach on Wednesday (local time).

They shared photos of the small two-headed turtle on Facebook.

The non-for-profit found the animal “during a nest inventory”.

“This mutation is more common in reptiles than in other animals but it is still very rare,” the group wrote.

“As with other live hatchlings found during a nest inventory, this hatchling was released to the ocean.”

The two-headed turtle is known as polycephalic. Polycephaly is a condition where an animal is born with two heads.

James Badman of Arizona State University told National Geographic in 2002 having two heads “can be a hindrance” for animals.

"It would be much harder to catch prey,” Mr Badman said.

On Facebook, the photo of the two-headed turtle was met with awe and more than 5,800 shares.

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“One says ‘I’m going left’ and the other say ‘no, right’,” one woman wrote.

Another added “two heads are always better than one”.

“Amazing. Hope we see this beautiful creature in the future! Grow big and strong,” another woman wrote.

However, some questioned whether the turtle would survive.

“ I understand your rules of conservation, but this animal should have been kept in an aquarium and allowed to live,” one woman wrote.

“I’m saddened that he was released.”

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