Mata Mata Turtle

Description:

A large, sedentary turtle, characterized by the long neck covered with many tubercles and flaps of skin, ending in a tubular snout, which enables it to breathe & spend almost its entire life underwater. Its oblong carapace is generally brown or black, and when full grown, measures up to 18 inches. Mature weight is approx. 33lbs. Each foot has five webbed claws. Males have thicker, longer tails & concave plastrons vs. females.

Habitat:

Stagnant or slow moving, shallow, freshwater river beds of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Feeds on small fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Notes:

The Mata Mata turtle's name is translated in Spanish as "I kill, I kill" and it does just that. The tubercles on it's head and neck are extremely sensitive to water movement around it. When prey approaches, the turtle opens it's mouth & expands it's neck, causing a sudden in-rush of water, which draws the prey into it's mouth. In captivity, I feed my guy (I think it's a guy!) a diet of minnows, and the occasional few goldfish when he is desperate to be fed. I have heard that many owners who have their Mata Mata on a strict goldfish diet report digestion problems, altho a varied diet is recommended. This turtle is also the only species in the genus Chelus.