Should this animal be euthanized?

[Neltharion]

I saw this posted for $500 on another site. I e-mailed an inquiry just out of curiousity with questions regarding the turtle's(turtles'?) mobility, eating habits, and coordination. I was told that the turtle swims, walks around, and eats just fine. I don't believe this turtle could actually swim and catch fish the way a normal one could. I'm also guessing that two separate sets of brain waves cause the turtle to move around in what appears to be 'spastic' type motions.

Personally, I would be leaning towards euthanizing the animal. I tend to believe that it will have a somewhat diminished quality of life, and I personally would not want to capitalize on it. I know the flipside of that is if the animal can exist, feed, and otherwise perform daily functions painfree; then an argument could be made that there really isn't any harm in allowing it to live. I just found the pic to be very disturbing and really felt sorry for the animal.

Thoughts?

 

[cherylim]

If they're real they look healthy! Would you kill all conjoined twins?

Cute

 

[The Adjustor]

I saw that ad a well.

I don't see any reason it should be put down unless it is extremely uncoordinated or obviously has a poor quality of life. It would probably have special needs and would require more attention, but there are always people out there willing to provide that kind of care.

 

[Neltharion]

Would you kill all conjoined twins?

Not necessarily. The two questions I ask myself: Are they suffering? How diminished is their quality of life? If they are suffering, then I would say they should be euthanized. If their quality of life is severely diminished relative to what a 'normal' specimen would have, then I would say 'yes' then too.

I guess that raises another question for the breeders out there. If you had such a specimen and decided to let it live, would you feel comfortable selling it at a premium not knowing whether any special needs it might have were being met?

 

[dmarcus]

I see nothing that says it should be put down. If its healthy and if the owner is willing to put the time into caring for it then let it live.

 

[bikerchicspain]

They look healthy enough, unfortunately conjoined reptiles don't usually live long anyway.

 

[Jacqui]

It may not catch a fish, but then how many that size either or able too or are even feed live fish? Often one head is the dominate on for both eating and motion. That could be the case here.

 

[ascott]

I say go little turtles go! !!!!!! The good Lord made ya to be exactly as you are...so swim swim swim.....

 

[zesty_17]

i would not euthanize them.

 

[nikki0601]

Unfortunately these animals are often times bred this way purposely for the money, just as 2 headeds are, and other morphs, sold for substantial amounts.. And there is a market for it, I've seen this turtle on faunaclassifieds, going for 3800, its crazy.. I personally would not want to own this type of morph, even if I had all the money in the world.. This turtle does not need to put down, justs needs lots of extra TLC, he needs a special setup for his mobilization, he needs special feedings daily, etc... regardless he wont live very long.. Hopefully someone will him/them the best quality of life possible

 

[Neltharion]

It may not catch a fish, but then how many that size either or able too or are even feed live fish? Often one head is the dominate on for both eating and motion. That could be the case here.

Well, obviously one that small wouldn't be successful at chasing down fish. I was thinking more in terms of when it got larger (if it survives that long).

Also, everything that I've read on bicephaly has indicated that the independent heads of these animals struggle for control of the body.

Just one example that I had found, "Just watching them feed, often fighting over which head will swallow the prey, shows that feeding takes a good deal of time . . . .They also have a great deal of difficulty deciding which direction to go, and if they had to respond to an attack quickly they would just not be capable of it."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/03/0318_0319_twoheadsnake.html

Depending on its degree of coordination and ability to move and feed, I might be tempted to raise it myself. I don't think I would be willing to sell such an animal at a premium not knowing whether any special needs would be met. These types of animals often end up on display to the public, and care is oftentimes not what it should be.

 

[cemmons12]

Live and let live!

 

[l0velesly]

Unfortunately these animals are often times bred this way purposely for the money, just as 2 headeds are, and other morphs, sold for substantial amounts.. And there is a market for it, I've seen this turtle on faunaclassifieds, going for 3800, its crazy.. I personally would not want to own this type of morph, even if I had all the money in the world.. This turtle does not need to put down, justs needs lots of extra TLC, he needs a special setup for his mobilization, he needs special feedings daily, etc... regardless he wont live very long.. Hopefully someone will him/them the best quality of life possible

I very much agree with you.

Euthanization should only be used on animals that have very limited movement or other "serious" physical conditions.

 

[dmmj]

For me anyways It would depend on quality of life issue. I imagine it would be quite confused.

 

[african cake queen]

They look healthy enough, unfortunately conjoined reptiles don't usually live long anyway.

this is true. i agree.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkKWApOAG2g[/video]

Should Abby and Betty? I say give all a chance.

 

[WallieTheTortoise]

Video Link: youtube

Should Abby and Betty? I say give all a chance.

Link isn't working...

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Video Link: youtube

Should Abby and Betty? I say give all a chance.

Link isn't working...

It isn't in the post above yours? I can see it fine.

Might you have some filter blocking YouTube videos?

 

[SailingMystic]

I use to rescue sea turtles and was amazed by some of their handicaps -- and how they adapted. This little one seems fine. It will adapt one way or another and would surprise you. It all depends on if it's free in the wild too. It could be more of a bottom dweller when it comes to food.

 

[Neltharion]

Should Abby and Betty? I say give all a chance.

Comparing human teenagers to a hatchling turtle is apples and oranges. The fact is that with humans the legal aspect comes in to play, where with other animals it isn't a factor. Once these twins were born, it would have been illegal to euthanize them.

Also, in the human equation is the fact that a prenatal diagnosis of conjoined twins can be discovered as early as 6 to 7 weeks, at which point many of these pregnancies are terminated. Not to make this an abortion debate, but from a certain perspective, many human conjoined twins are euthanized in the sense that the 'lives' are terminated prior to birth. Although I couldn't terminate the life of human conjoined twins already born, I probably would terminate the pregnancy of conjoined twinsif I knew they would not be able to be separated with surgery.

The fact is that nature has a way of naturally dealing with these types of deformities in the wild. The lack of mobility makes these animals easy prey or unable to hunt. In those species where the parents care for the offspring, many of them (rodents for example) will kill and/or eat those young that are deformed. In other cases, animals in the cervidae family (deer, antelope, gazelle), if the young are unable to stand and walk upon birth due to deformity, they're left to die (usually by falling prey).