By: Jasmine Wang

On September 3rd, 2022, Janus, a two-headed Greek tortoise, celebrated his 25th birthday. He became the first-ever bicephalic tortoise to achieve this amazing milestone. But life for Janus is not without difficulties.

Greek tortoises can live up to two hundred years in their natural habitat. But because of Janus’s unusual deformity, he would not be able to survive that long on his own. There is not enough room for his two heads to completely retract inside of his shell, making him more vulnerable to predators. Fortunately, Janus has spent his whole life at a museum, where there are no such dangers. But there are many other challenges that he must face.

Janus lives at the Natural History Museum in Geneva, Switzerland. Not only does he have two heads, but he also has two hearts, two stomachs, and two pairs of lungs. Each head controls the two legs on its side of the body. This often leads to confusion when they try to walk in different directions. Because the two heads are so close to each other, they sometimes rub against one another and cause skin sores.

Luckily, Janus has a team of people that take very good care of him. They make sure he lives a long and healthy life. Janus is fed organic fruits and vegetables, receives daily massages, and is bathed in green tea and chamomile extract solution. To keep active, He goes on walks and rides on his custom skateboard.

Though Janus’s life was full of challenges, with the proper care, he managed to beat all odds and set an outstanding new record. We all wish the adorable Janus a happy late birthday and the very best of luck on the rest of his journey.