Giant Amazon River Turtle

Description:

Giant Amazon River turtle. These turtles rarely leave the water (except the females to lay eggs) and one of the largest fresh water river turtles in the world. The female lays approximately 50 to 100 eggs. In the wild, these turtles eat fallen fruits and seeds, vegetation, aquatic invetebrates and insects. Females have shells longer than 30 inches and weigh up to 200 pounds. Males are smaller, with a shell length about 19 inches.

Habitat:

This giant amazon river turtle lives in captivity in the Amazon River Forest Exhibit at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland.