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The Keystone State is twice as nice after a rare two-headed gecko was hatched this summer.
The tiny, twin-headed crested gecko made its debut on June 29th at Rockstar Geckos, a breeding business based in northeastern Pennsylvania.
“This little one was a surprise!” Rockstar Geckos posted on Instagram, alongside a video of the dual-domed gecko.
Multiple heads, also known as polycephaly, is generally caused by malformation of a developing embryo due to either genetic or environmental factors.
“We’ve only had this happen once before in all our years hatching babies. Unfortunately, they don’t often live that long, but we will do our best,” the reptile dealer continued.
Christened Simon and Garfunkel, the geckos have defied the odds by surviving.
“They move around pretty well even though it appears they each want to go in separate directions sometimes,” Rockstar Geckos said in a two-week update posted in early July.
In cases of polycephalic animals, each animal has its own brain, and control of the organs and limbs is shared.
In addition, vital organs are often malformed or strained.
Often, the brains “argue” with one another in an attempt to establish dominance, resulting in disoriented movement that makes them easy targets for predators.
However, according to the most recent update, Simon and Garfunkel are living their best lizard lives and have begun coordinating their movements, and neither head currently appears dominant.
“Here they are at 4 weeks old!” posted Rockstar Geckos, explaining that Simon and Garfunkel are still just1.8 grams, roughly 0.063 ounces.
“‘It’s hard to grasp until you see them next to a fingernail,” they added to illustrate.
Native to New Caledonia, crested geckos are tree-dwelling lizards that can reach 8-10 inches and 35 to 45 grams when fully grown.
Rockstar Geckos shared that both Simon and Garfunkel are eating independently and without assistance.
Further, they reported that there is no fighting between the two and that the heads are positioned so they can’t attack each other.
Animal fans have flooded the comments section with words of encouragement.
“I’m rooting for these babies! I’ve been following their story since day one!” said one
“I’m completely obsessed with the twins; they are just so adorable, and it’s great seeing them doing so well,” said another.
“Hoping they live a healthy, long life!!” underscored a third.
The company has promised to share more when the geckos reach five weeks.
Although most commonly observed in turtles and snakes — such as the two-headed rat snake, Tiger-Lily, whose ovarian surgery ordeal was broadcast to the world earlier this year — polycephaly has been documented in every critter from fish to pigs.
One of the most remarkable examples in the annals of zoological oddities was a bilobed billy goat that became a worldwide sensation due to its resemblance to the Greek god Janus.
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