Let's go back over the history of Janus who arrived at the Museum by chance. It was private individuals who brought him in his egg, at a time when the institution had an animal house with an incubator and qualified personnel for the care of the animals. It was an incredible discovery to see this two-headed baby turtle emerge.

Janus is a Greek turtle Testudo graeca, male, with the particularity of having two heads, from where he gets his name, Janus, referring to the Roman god with two heads. His two heads are functional, that is to say that each head has an independent brain and thus its own personality, one has a more dominant character (the one on the right) while the other is more phlegmatic. Apart from its two brains, almost everything else is identical to a normal turtle, it has only one heart and one stomach. This kind of developmental abnormality (it is not a genetic problem) usually leads to a quick death. In the wild, turtles hide their heads and legs under their shells to protect themselves from predators. With its two heads, Janus does not have the space to fit into its shell, so the animal would not have survived long otherwise than in captivity. Its malformation does not allow it either to recover if it turns over what requires a permanent attention. Moreover, its movements are not entirely coordinated, the two heads are not always in agreement on the direction and sometimes try to take opposite directions. But our Janus has benefited, and still benefits, from good care (optimized food, baths, massages, walks, etc.) which allows him to celebrate his quarter of a century, an absolute record!

Janus quickly became the mascot of the Natural History Museum, he fascinates adults and children with his little "monstrous" side but nevertheless endearing.

Janus has his quarters at the top of the Museum in an outdoor space that is totally dedicated to him. He can then take a breath of fresh air when the temperature allows it.

Every day, two people take turns to give him the necessary care:

• Daily baths, once in the morning and once in the afternoon in water at a specific temperature.
• Daily control of his eyes, neck folds, limbs mobility, chest, tongue color and general condition.
• Half-yearly control of his general condition (weight gain, etc.)
• Strict feeding: Janus is fed with organic fruits and vegetables, cut into pieces.
• Maintenance of the terrariums

Janus is the last animal living in the Natural History Museum of Geneva and benefits from a very particular attention.

Long life to our emblematic two-headed turtle!

Program :

All day long

• "Take a selfie with Janus" (2nd floor) >>> a photo panel will be at your disposal to keep a souvenir of this festive day.
• "A surprise awaits you at the Museum" >>> Shhh, it's top secret!
• "Scientific information" >>> Panels will give scientific explanations on the particularity of Janus.
• "Discussion with his caretakers" >>> Janus' "nannies" will be present to explain their role and will reveal some anecdotes!

More informations